Did you

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Did you

CCM_04.05_Editorial.v4
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fromtheeditor
by Jay Swartzendruber
Bethany Dillon
The Files
Rock & roll. iPods. tobyMac. DVDs. Concerts.
Activism. Hymns. These are several examples of
things that are definitely ! right now in the world
of Christian music. Whether you’re wondering
what’s cool, fresh, hot, it, now or the next big
thing, ! marks the spot.
I doubt we could have picked a more exciting
time in Christian music to tackle this special
edition of CCM. From our community’s increasing
profile and influence in mainstream music, to the
bevy of raw talent emerging in the pool of new
artists, to the way changing music technology is
keeping record companies (and artists) on their
toes, to the ever-growing supremacy of rock &
roll, there is simply nowhere else I’d rather be.
Are you a fan of surprises? If so, then this
month’s issue is for you. Consider Mark Joseph’s
feature on Christians in mainstream music
CCM MAGAZINE
Your Christian Music Magazine Since 1978
volume 27 issue 10
For those whose lives are strengthened through faith-informed music,
CCM Magazine goes behind the scenes to celebrate the artistry of
Christian music.
CCM Magazine is a publication of Salem Publishing, a division of
Salem Communications.
•••• •••••••
CCM Magazine
Publisher James R. Cumbee
Associate Publisher & Editor in Chief Roberta Croteau
Editor Jay Swartzendruber
Managing Editor Stephanie Ottosen
Departments & Creative Ventures Editor Christa Farris
6 ccm april 05
(beginning on page 48). I thought I’d heard it—
and, to a degree, lived it—all. Joseph’s article
repeatedly raised my eyebrows—he connected
some unexpected dots for me, changing my
historical perspective on musicians being salt and
light in the broader music world.
And new artists. Do the names MuteMath,
Bethany Dillon, Mat Kearney, BarlowGirl, Kiki
Sheard and John Davis mean anything to you?
They will—each one of them. And they’re the tip
of the iceberg.
Just as new as many of those artists, is the key
technology that’s making its way into music
production, distribution and aural consumption,
and, as a result, redefining the ways artists and
labels respond to your preferences. While our
main ! spread will get you up to speed on
the latest trends with downloads and ringtones
(see page 39), our “Presidential Briefing” feature
(beginning on page 54) will give you, among
other things, a fresh perspective on where labels
are headed technologically.
Editorial Assistant Andrea Bailey
Art Director Lee Steffen
Production Director Ross E. Cluver
Contributing Editors Andy Argyrakis, Margaret Becker, Michael Card,
Richard Farley, Gregory Rumburg, Chris Well
Contributors Andy Argryakis, Anthony DeBarros, Richard Farley, Thom
Granger, David Jenison, Mark Joseph, David McCreary, Bart Millard,
Jessica Robin, Greg Rumburg, Russ Taff, Michael TenBrink
Web Editor Christa Farris
Circulation Director Buffy Booker
Customer Service Representatives Amy Cassell, Emeka Nnadi
Fulfillment Manager Leesa Smith
Executive Director of Advertising
L. Smitty Wheeler 615/312-4235
Senior Director of Advertising
DeDe Tarrant 805/987-5072
Account Executive Gregory Byerline
Account Executive Phil Davis
Marketing Coordinator Michael TenBrink
Advertising Coordinator Carol Jones
Supremacy—is that the right word to have
used with regard to the current emergence of rock
& roll in Christian music? You tell me. In addition
to being the most popular genre among Christian
music fans, rock album sales in 2004 actually
doubled the amount sold the year before. And its
momentum doesn’t appear to be slowing down
anytime soon.
All told, who would have expected what we’re
seeing today? The fact that insiders are
speculating about Jeremy Camp being the next
Michael W. Smith, Bethany Dillon the next Amy
Grant, Relient K the next Switchfoot and
MuteMath the next, well, whatever “the Coldplay
of Christian music” means… one thing’s for sure,
these are fascinating times. And without a doubt,
a fantastic time for CCM to do our first ! issue.
While this special edition of CCM has been a
load of fun to work on, this month has been
bittersweet. With the conclusion of this issue, we
say “farewell” to our friend and esteemed
managing editor, Stephanie Ottosen. After four
impressive years with the CCM team, Stephanie
recently returned to her hometown of Houston,
Tex., where she and her husband Micah are
preparing to welcome their first child. Perhaps no
one will be hit by Stephanie’s departure as much
as yours truly. You see, Stephanie taught this onetime publicist “the way of the editor.”
I, we, will miss her.
[email protected]
Special thanks: Chuck Anderson of NoPattern for the
wonderful cover illustration. Chuck has worked with Audi,
McDonalds, Microsoft, Computer Arts Magazine,
ESPN The Magazine and Creativity Magazine to
name a few. Check out nopattern.com for more info.
Sales/Marketing Associate Craig Felker
Sales Assistant Lindsay Stowers
Main Office 104 Woodmont Blvd., Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37205
615/386-3011 (ph) • 615/386-3380 (business fax) • 615/385-4112
(editorial fax) • 615/312-4266 (advertising fax)
Subscriptions/Customer Service CCM, 104 Woodmont, Ste 300, Nashville
37205, 800/333-9643 or [email protected]. Annual
subscription rates: United States, $19.95/one year, $35.95/ two years,
$53.95/three years; Canada, (U.S. funds) $27.95 per year; all other countries,
(U.S. funds) $33.95 (surface) or $67 (airmail). For address changes or other
inquiries, please include both old and new addresses and mailing label.
Allow four to six weeks for new subscriptions to begin.
Cover illustration by Chuck Anderson (nopattern.com)
NASDAQ SYMBOL: SALM
ccmmagazine.com
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feedback
the pictures as wallpaper, seeing as I
am the more “expressive type fan”;
but I have problems tearing up the
magazine. Thanks for continuing to
be creative and helping to make my
month better.
—Jenny Stracener, Soddy Daisy, TN
READERS’ CHOICE INDEED
I’m loving the February issue of CCM.
(I was especially looking forward to it
to see who was in the Readers’
Choice Awards.) After I opened it up
[“CCM Readers’ Choice Awards
2005”], I was floored. The
photography that David Dobson did
for the issue is amazing and is
enough, by itself, to tide me over until
the next issue! As Mr.
Swartzendruber stated in his letter
from the editor, I would love to use
I have been a dedicated CCM
subscriber for almost seven years and
wanted to commend the CCM staff for
the wonderful work on the 2005
Readers’ Choice Awards. This issue is
by far the best visual-looking issue
ever! Kudos to photographer David
Dobson and the rest of the CCM staff
for the amazing layout and design of
all the Readers’ Choice Award
winners. It was evident that each
photograph was deeply thought about
and planned out. All of the photos
showed creativity by Dobson and
individuality by each artist. The design
of this issue rivals most mainstream
magazines. I hope that David Dobson
and the rest of the CCM staff get
awarded for this beautiful
masterpiece.
—Tim Kong, Nyack, NY
I just wanted to let you know that the
artist photos from the readers’ poll
were outstanding. I don’t know who
came up with the concept, but give
them a pat on the back. Very creative
and fun!
—Kevin Avery
Program Director/Morning Show
Host
104.7 The Fish/Atlanta, GA
Unbelievable! Maybe the best issue
ever. The photography of the artists is
amazing. Great job.
—Danny Clayton
Program Director/morning show
105.3 The Fish/Milwaukee, WI
Just got my copy of CCM at work and
was blown away by your photos of the
Readers’ Choice winners. These
pictures look great and are so
creative. As another media hound, I
grew weary of seeing the same press
kit photos that I would get across my
desk. However, these photos of
tobyMac, Rebecca St. James and
everyone else look phenomenal.
What a breath of fresh air to see our
favorites in a new light. Thanks, CCM!
As always, you guys rock.
—Jennifer E. Jones,
CBN.com Producer,
Virginia Beach, VA
The trailer park [Jeremy] Camp family
photo made me laugh out loud! It’s
good for these artists to have fun
with a photo op, not just the same
old posing. Original and fun pictures
for the whole article were
8 ccm april 05
ccmmagazine.com
appreciated, not a "barefoot on the
beach" or "gazing out to sea" in sight.
—Nicola Topsom, Edmonton, AB
Canada
I just got through reading the
Readers’ Choice issue and saw that
Apologetix and Disciple were voted
the top two indie bands. It would
really be great to see an article on
these two bands in your mag. I have
been a subscriber for a long time and
enjoy it, but to see a story on these
two groups—especially Disciple—
would be awesome.
--Darrell Gibson, via email
Thanks for your suggestion, Darrell. Did you
happen to catch our full-page interview with
Apologetix alumnus (and Word Distribution
sales rep.) Keith Harrold last July? Also, you’ll
be pleased to know that Disciple just signed a
recording agreement with INO Music’s new
modern rock label, S/R/E Recordings. It’s safe
to say you’ll be seeing Disciple amidst future
pages of CCM.
BACKSTREET WISE
In the February issue of your
magazine, you wrote a short article
about Backstreet Boys’ Brian Littrell
[“The Insider”]. This put the biggest
smile on my face. I have been a fan
of his group for 10 years. They have
been a vital part of my life (including
helping me decide that the music
industry is the place for me). I believe
the Lord put the Backstreet Boys on
this earth to help others and myself
get through tough times. Brian Littrell
has especially touched my heart. I am
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likes of Randy Stonehill, Eric Clapton,
Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan. As I
watched McCartney play the halftime
show of the Super Bowl, I could not
help but think of Norman’s poignant
message of our Savior’s love.
—Brent Kohlenberger, Swansea, IL
bands, etc. have become part of my
daily life. I really enjoy the music and
the positive messages I get from the
songs. Thanks again, and keep up
the good work.
—Ron Morrison, Park Forest, IL
CHRISTIAN MUSIC FANDANGO
I just wanted to drop a line to tell
everyone at CCM how much I enjoy
reading your magazine. A friend
introduced me to Christian music in
2001 (and also CCM), and I do not
listen to anything else. Listening to
and reading about Christian music,
We welcome your comments. Address your letter to
Feedback, CCM Magazine, 104 Woodmont
Blvd., Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37205; fax
615/385-4112, Attn: Feedback; or e-mail
[email protected]. Always include
your full name, address and phone number. Letter
may be edited for length and clarity.
Correction:
In last month’s issue, CCM
incorrectly cited two important
songwriting credits and quotes
about the songs in our ZOEgirl
feature. It was actually Kristin
Swinford who was the primary writer
of the song “Skin Deep” and spoke
about it. Likewise, Chrissy Conway
was primary writer and spoke of
“Not the One.” Our apologies to
them both.
TRUTH BE TOLD
glad that he is a man of God and
does amazing things through his
celebrity status. I cry every time I
think of the great work he is doing for
children with heart disease. I do,
however, have one complaint about
your article. In it you write the
following line: “Pop music
aficionados won’t have to say ‘bye,
bye, bye’ to its favorite boy band...”
With this sentence you are implying
that the Backstreet Boys sing the
song “Bye Bye Bye.” That, however, is
false. The song “Bye Bye Bye” is
sung and performed by *NSYNC.
—Janet Valdez, via e-mail
Janet, might we have used an *NSYNC song
title on purpose? We’ll never tell...
WHAT ABOUT LARRY?
In your short list of Songs To Or
About Famous People [“List-O-Rama,”
February], I was surprised that you
failed to mention a timeless classic
by Christian rock pioneer Larry
Norman. “Song for a Small Circle of
Friends” is a beautiful song to the
What’s your favorite Christian music legend or supposedly tall tale? What about that nagging question concerning
your favorite artist that, apparently, no one’s been able to answer? That’s where we come in. Check here each
month as CCM distinguishes fact from fiction, and e-mail your questions to [email protected].
Dear CCM,
I saw a commercial for the Adam
Sandler movie, Spanglish, and it
had a Jars of Clay song playing
during it. It got me wondering how
songs make it into movies. I
figured you guys would have the
inside scoop.
—Film Buff in Philadelphia
Good question! To get the answer for
you, we went straight to an expert in
Los Angeles—Tyler Bacon, who
executive produced albums by
Sixpence None the Richer, The Choir,
Fleming & John and Living Sacrifice in
the mid ’90s and is now the president
of Position Music. His company
pitches songs (“cuts”) to the film and
television industry and has landed
tracks in such shows as “Smallville,”
“The O.C.” and “Malcolm in the
Middle” as well as in major motion
pictures such as Elf and The Butterfly
Effect. Position is hired by record labels
(including EMI Christian Music
Group, which includes Gotee, Sparrow
and ForeFront Records) and/or music
publishing companies to work their
catalog of songs in Hollywood.
According to Bacon, much of the
process of landing a song’s placement
into film or television is simply
relational. He stays in close contact
with music supervisors at film studios
and production companies as well as—
to a lesser extent—producers, directors or
music editors. These contacts keep
companies, such as Position, in the loop
as to what they are looking for. For
example, Bacon said he’ll get a call from a
studio that is shooting a film with a party
scene for which they’re looking for a
dance song, or a dinner scene for which
they’re seeking a jazz song. Bacon will
then select the songs from his clients’
catalogs that are best suited for said
scenes and send the songs to the studio
for consideration.
Position also does “blind pitching” by
putting together compilation discs of
songs from its clients’ catalog that are the
most TV/film-friendly and sending them
to music supervisors. Bacon said such
pitching does result in phone calls from
parties interested in using certain songs.
In fact, with television Bacon will
sometimes get a desperate call from a
music supervisor who, for whatever
reason, has just had a song drop from a
show. Exemplifying how quickly things in
Hollywood can turn around, Bacon said
he’s put together deals on a Friday for a
show that airs the following Monday!
Once a song is selected for use, two
licenses need to be negotiated: a master
license, which grants permission from the
record label to use the recording of the
song under the agreed-upon terms, and a
synchronization (“synch”) license, which
likewise grants permission from the song’s
publisher. And, yes, that process is really
done for every single song you hear in
a film or a television show! Nothing
happens by accident in Hollywood!
According to Bacon, a ballpark
figure for use of a song in a movie
trailer is $7,500 to $60,000, while
placement in a TV show will pull in
between $1,000 and $15,000,
depending on the length and
placement of the music clip. This
amount is then split between the
songwriter, the publisher and the
label—and, of course, it also pays
Position’s fee.
ccmmagazine.com
april 05 ccm 9
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insider
GMA Music Awards
preview, Grammy
round-up and more.
by Christa Farris
A Time for
Recognition
The nominees have been
announced for a while now.
The location has been
decided (the legendary
Grand Ole Opry House in
Nashville), and the artists
are probably even shopping
for their fashionable outfits
as we speak. But what
everyone wants to know is:
Who’s going to take home
the most Doves on Christian
music’s biggest night? On
the eve of the 36th annual
GMA Music Awards, CCM’s
own editorial team weighs
in with its predictions...
Jeremy Camp photographed
by Brandon Dickerson
THE PANEL:
Jay Swartzendruber, Editor
Christa Farris, Departments Editor
Stephanie Ottosen, Managing Editor
>>>
Diego Rock: Switchfoot reconnects with producer John Fields and hits the studio anticipating a July
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>>>
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insider
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
[Nominees: Jeremy Camp, Jason Crabb, Mark Hall,
Israel Houghton, Fernando Ortega]
Should Win:
Swartzendruber: Jeremy Camp
Farris: Jeremy Camp
Ottosen: Jeremy Camp
Will Win:
Swartzendruber: Jeremy Camp
With all due respect to his competition this
year and the next 10 years, J.C.’s in the
house, and he’s not renting!
Farris: Jeremy Camp
While last year’s victories were, well, more
of a surprise, it’ll be no surprise this year
when he walks away with yet another
statue for his great vocal delivery.
Ottosen: Jeremy Camp
It’s been a year of radio hits, big sales and
successful tours for this new dad.Why
shouldn’t he win again?
her voice has never sounded better, but
Nicole is an old favorite; and voters won’t
soon forget the voice that sang “Redeemer.”
GROUP OF THE YEAR
[Nominees: Casting Crowns, The Crabb Family,
MercyMe, Selah, Switchfoot]
Should Win:
Swartzendruber: Switchfoot
Farris: Switchfoot
Ottosen: Switchfoot
Will Win:
Swartzendruber: Casting Crowns
How many bands have managed to sell
more than two million albums, mostly in the
mainstream, while loving the Savior, His
church and its neighbors with such
humility, integrity and artistic excellence?
Yes, Switchfoot “should” win. But I believe
the nod will actually go to Christian
music’s new favorite sons (and daughters).
Will Win:
Swartzendruber: Bethany Dillon
and his brilliant work on Steven Curtis
Chapman’s All Things New.
BarlowGirl has sold more albums, but
Bethany connects with both a young and
older (as in voting!) audience.
Farris: Brown Bannister
Farris: Bethany Dillon
A talented girl with a guitar—what’s not to
love? Like one of her guitar-wielding
mentors, Jennifer Knapp, Bethany should
walk away with the “New Artist” crown.
Ottosen: BarlowGirl
This trio sold the most of any debut artist
last year and had a No. 1 radio hit to
boot. These sisters will take the bird home.
[Nominees: Bethany Dillon, Natalie Grant, Nicole C.
Mullen, Christy Nockels, Joy Williams]
Should Win:
Ottosen: Natalie Grant
Will Win:
[Nominees: Casting Crowns, MercyMe, Selah,
Michael W. Smith, Switchfoot]
Should Win:
Swartzendruber: Switchfoot
Farris: Switchfoot
Ottosen: Switchfoot
While this category is as closely matched
as they come, it came down to this for me:
Who would I vote for if I was one of the
other nominees?
Will Win:
Swartzendruber: Casting Crowns
Ottosen: Casting Crowns
They deserve it, and they’ve been exemplary
as Christians in the mainstream.
Farris: Nicole C. Mullen
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
When it comes right down to it, I think the
more familiar, powerhouse chops of Nicole
C. Mullen will be the ones the voters will
award this time around.
[Nominees: BarlowGirl, Building 429, Day of Fire,
Bethany Dillon, Matthew West]
Ottosen: Nicole C. Mullen
Natalie’s continuing to reinvent herself and
>>>
MTV, VH-1 and beyond, Switchfoot has
had the kind of year that artists dream
about in terms of mainstream visibility. But
when it comes to the mainstream sector of
Christian music fans, I think it’s the catchy
conviction of Casting Crowns that’ll
ultimately translate to a victory.
No doubt, Switchfoot’s been everywhere this
year and continues to blow us away with
its success in the mainstream, but I think
voters will cast for a group that stays closer
to the Christian music industry home.
Should Win:
Ottosen: BarlowGirl
Ottosen: Brown Bannister
Ed Cash is the “it” producer this year, but I
think voters can’t help choosing Brown
Bannister because they have so many
years in a row.
SONG OF THE YEAR
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Farris: Casting Crowns
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Look at the credits of some of Christian
music’s most creative outings to date, and
you’ll see Ed Cash’s name. But Brown
Bannister has the kind of name recognition
that should keep his Dove track record solid.
Because Switchfoot is “Christian by faith,
not by musical genre.”
Farris: Switchfoot
I dare them to vote for anyone else…
Ottosen: Switchfoot
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
[Nominees: Brown Bannister, Ed Cash, Israel
Houghton, Pete Kipley, Mark A. Miller]
Should Win:
Swartzendruber: Ed Cash
Farris: Ed Cash
Ottosen: Ed Cash
[Nominees: “Blessed Be Your Name”-Tree63, “Dare
You to Move”-Switchfoot, “Friend of God”-Israel
Houghton, “Glory Defined”-Building429, “Healing
Rain”-Michael W. Smith, “Meant to Live”-Switchfoot,
“More”-Matthew West, “Through the Fire”-The Crabb
Family, “Who Am I”-Casting Crowns, “You Raise Me
Up”-Selah]
Should Win:
Swartzendruber: “Dare You to Move”
Farris: “Dare You to Move”
Ottosen: “Meant to Live”
Will Win:
Swartzendruber: “Who Am I”
Because Casting Crowns owns Christian
radio and, thanks to “Meant to Live,”
Switchfoot’s votes in this category will be
split between two songs.
Farris: “Healing Rain”
“Dare You to Move” was the empowering
anthem du jour of the year; you just
couldn’t escape it. But Michael W. Smith’s
“Healing Rain” is the power track that’s
going to edge it out. It has all the makings
of a Dove winner: a big chorus, worshipful
accessibility and, don’t forget, the crucial
Michael W. Smith stamp.
Ottosen: “Healing Rain”
Will Win:
Swartzendruber: Brown Bannister
Thanks to both Bannister’s higher profile
“Meant to Live” was all over the charts, but
Michael’s got to win at least one
category—right?
release, expected to be a “darker” and “louder” rock album • She’s One Busy Girl: Ginny Owens Writes
12 ccm april 05
ccmmagazine.com
>>>
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>>
pop/rock
From left:
Avalon’s Melissa
Greene, Jody
McBrayer and his
wife Stephanie
with Norah Jones.
Inset: Steven
Curtis Chapman
and Matchbox
20’s Rob Thomas
L.A. Story
In a star-studded event, several of your
favorite Christian artists strolled the red
carpet in style at this year’s Grammy Awards.
Now get the scoop on Skillet’s first trip to the
festivities, along with other great artist photo
ops that probably wouldn’t happen in any
place other than Los Angeles.
The Grammy Diaries
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably
already know that the late Ray Charles, Alicia Keys,
Kanye West, Usher, Green Day, John Mayer and
Maroon5 scored some pretty key wins recently on
Grammy night.
But Christian music’s finest were also wellrepresented. Before we dive into the winners, did you
catch the constant pans of Amy & Vince or happen to
spot Jars of Clay after Green Day’s performance of
“American Idiot?” I must say it was cool to see someone
other than, well, Usher getting some love from the
Grammy cam.
As for that aforementioned Grammy gold, Steven
Curtis Chapman added another trophy to what must be
an overflowing collection for Best Pop/Contemporary
Gospel Album for All Things New. Third Day also
chocked up another accolade for Best Rock Gospel
Album for its latest, Wire. Smokie Norful scored in the
Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album category with
Nothing Without You, while Randy Travis’ Worship &
Faith also took top honors in the Best Southern, Country
or Bluegrass Gospel Album.
“This is way cooler than prom!”
> >>> Songs
Skillet may have lost to Third Day in
the Best Rock Gospel Album
category, but the band definitely
relished its opportunity to hang out in
L.A. for music’s most glamorous night
as these exclusive photos reveal.
Band pictured with Zach Kelm,
Manager, Q Management Group
“We’re on our way now.”
“We just lost and are
pretending not to care.” Skillet’s
Lori Peters and Ben Kasica
pictured at Warner Bros.’ postGrammy party.
“He’s cool, and yes, his beard is
real.” Skillet’s John Cooper is
pictured with Z.Z. Top’s Billy F.
Gibbons at a post-Grammy event.
“Best Friends 4Ever” Skillet’s
Korey Cooper, John Cooper, Ben
Kasica and Lori Peters are pictured
with “Scrubs” and Garden State
star, Zach Braff.
for Her Upcoming October Studio Project, wraps up Next Month’s Release of Live From New Orleans
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april 05 ccm 13
>>>
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insider
Sightings:
A Passionate Makeover
Can you believe that it’s already been more than a year since the release
of the worldwide movie phenomenon known as The Passion of The
Christ? And now for something even more unbelievable: A toned-down
(read: less gory) version of the movie, The Passion Recut, was recently
released in theaters for those who weren’t comfortable with the extremely
graphic crucifixion scenes in the original. While it hasn’t been finalized at press
time, there are talks of the Mel Gibson film being an annual event release.
A River Runs Through It
Speaking of what’s new at the multiplex, Passion star James Caviezel is set to
star in Madison, an independent, feel-good movie in the vein of Field of
Dreams or Hoosiers that recently premiered at The Sundance Film Festival.
Based on a true story of a dying river town (Madison, Ind.), the film is a
father/son tale of the come-from-behind win in the 1971 race for the gold cup
of hydroplane boat racing. Complete with 180 mile per hour, flat-bottomed
boat racing, the underlying theme is the spirit of smalltown America and the
difficulties of generational transition from the ’60’s to the ’70’s.
For more information, visit madisonthemovie.com.
New Must-See TV: “The Logan Show”
While touring the Christian music festival circuit during
the summer of 2004 to encourage voter registration,
19-year-old Logan Sekulow and his friends came up
with a winning concept for a new T.V. show.
>>>
Now the first show of its kind in Christian T.V. land,
“The Logan Show” is a new youth-oriented variety
program that takes the best elements of late-night
shows such as “Saturday Night Live” and “Conan
O’Brien” with a little “Austin City Limits” musical flavor
mixed in and offers a funny, enjoyable diversion from
the usual late-night fare for the whole family.
Hosted by Sekulow along with co-host John Drake
Windsor, the show features a cast of eight guys and
girls who provide the bulk of the entertainment via
comedy sketches in front of a live studio audience in
Nashville, Tenn. Christian music’s preeminent artists
also get in on the fun with live performances and
interviews.
Currently broadcast into 60 million homes in the
U.S. on FamilyNet, INSP, JC-TV, iLife and more, a live
stream of the show is also available on ja-tv.net and
tct-net.org.
CD • Speaking of Rocketown Artists: Label Signs Singer/Songwriter
>>>
3/10/05
10:52 PM
Page 15
>> pop
DVD Picks
from Your
Favorite
Artists
This month we've got two artists
endorsing the same film. If you have
yet to see this late ’80s classic, take
it from them...
Blake Knight, Ill Harmonics:
My favorite comedy is an oldie but a
goodie. I would recommend that
anyone who likes dry wit rent The
Princess Bride on DVD. The movie is hilarious but also touches some
heart strings with an intricate love story and, of course, the ever brilliant Fred
Savage ("The Wonder Years"). A must-see and a must-own.
Eric Lemier, The Rock 'N' Roll Worship Circus:
The Princess Bride is a movie that everyone needs to see. There's action,
comedy, love, deceit, and the movie is "really historically accurate." It's a
timeless classic that the whole family will enjoy.
*
Faith in
Hollywood:
Christina Milian
She may not be a household name
just yet, but with turns in the muchhyped reunion of John Travolta and
Uma Thurman in Be Cool and in the
recent Tommy Lee Jones vehicle Man
of the House, rising star Christina
Milian is having the kind of career
start that many aspiring actresses
dream about.
Describing how she stays
grounded in spite of her newfound
acclaim, Milian recently told USA
Today she maintains her strong
Catholic convictions, even pausing to
pray before she enjoys her salad. “I
pray constantly and appreciate life,”
she says. “The struggles I’ve been
through have gotten me to where I
am today.”
>
>>>
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>>
insider
pop
Escape
to Seattle
When it comes to
recording his brand new
live disc, there is no place
like home for Shawn
McDonald.
True Love Completely
Took Me By Surprise...
By 2005 GMA Awards Nominee Christy Nockels
While my five-hour flight from
Nashville to Seattle was a bit of a
whirlwind experience for a onenight concert stop, this kind of
travel is nothing new for Seattlebased singer/songwriter Shawn
McDonald, who’s been on the
road in support of his Sparrow
debut, Simply Nothing, for
months on end.
But even the most experienced
artist isn’t particularly fond of a 6
a.m. wake-up call, even in the
rainy java capital where there’s a
caffeine rush available on
practically every street corner.
However, despite his lack of
sleep, McDonald persevered as
he spent the better part of the
morning before his live CD
recording making radio
appearances, conducting
interviews and participating in a
photo shoot.
But if all the running around
caused this soft-spoken artist any
stress, you wouldn’t have guessed
from his calm composure onstage
later that evening at the packedout venue of Seattle’s Mars Hill
>>>
church. With a chill atmosphere
accentuated by candlelight and
the handiwork of an onstage
artist who painted as McDonald
sang, the evening seemed to go
off with very few hitches.
After the show CCM caught up
with McDonald for the inside track
on his first live recording and
more.
CCM: What stood out to you
about this particular recording
experience?
McDonald: “It was a neat night.
Not only was I at home playing,
but I had a lot of friends and
family in the audience. I was just
really moved tonight.”
CCM: You seemed just a little
nervous at the beginning but as
the night went on, you seemed
so much more assured. Was that
the case?
McDonald: “Yeah, I’d say so.
There was a lot of pressure
tonight—pressure that it has to
sound good… But at the same
time, there were also a lot of folks
out there. It was intimate with all
the people just right there, and so
I think there was a little
nervousness at first. I think as it
went on, though, I realized that
God was doing His thing, so the
nervousness kind of left.”
CCM: I’ve heard rumblings that
you are writing some new songs
and getting the process started
for what’s going to be your true
sophomore record. Tell me a little
about what’s been happening so
far.
McDonald: “Well, I think the
plan is to go into the studio in
mid-June, July and August. I’ve
written about eight new songs
right now, and then I’ve got about
10-15 older ones that I haven’t
pulled out of the pot yet. So we’ve
got a good number, and I’m
taking the whole month of May
off just strictly to write. My goal is
to have 25-30 songs coming into
this record, so that we can really
lay down all the songs and pick
the best ones.”
I’ll never know why self-respecting, God-fearing young
women give their heart and soul to guys they know are
not God’s best for them. I remember my daddy telling
me, “Christy, there will always be a guy around who is
willing to spend his life with you—even a good guy—but
it’s God’s heart for you that you wait for His best.”
As I grew a little older, I fell into that trap… keeping an
unguarded heart and allowing myself to go from one
relationship to another. How I wish now that I would
have just embraced the alone time that surrounded me.
Somehow I dreaded breaking off relationships because
I hated being alone, and I feared that my prince might
never come. Because of fear I wasted many of my high
school and college years.
I remember the day when God began to soften my
heart toward truly understanding what it means to
prepare myself for His best. I attended a small girls’
retreat where we were asked to write a letter to our
future husbands. We poured our hearts out in pen and
paper and then wrapped them neatly with wedding
paper. I clung to this letter, keeping it visible as a
reminder that someday he would come. I wanted to
open it and read it again and again, until one day it
dawned on me that the letter could continue. I began to
keep a journal for my husband-to-be, full of thoughts,
prayers and promises for the years to come. This journal
kept hope alive within me and effectively helped me
pinpoint places in my dating life where I was settling for
something short of God’s perfect design for me.
God pierced my heart when I met my sweet husband,
Nathan Nockels. I was broken before God that He would
bring Nathan into my life in spite of my immaturity. The
grace and mercy of God came and took my breath away.
As a wedding gift, I gave Nathan the letter and journal
I had been writing in. What a treasure for both of us to
enjoy for years to come. We will celebrate our 10-year
anniversary this year, and I am still amazed at the
incomparable and priceless reward of recognizing and
preparing for God’s best for my life.
For more information, please visit eharmony.com.
Michael Olson to Its Roster • Nicol Sponberg Leaves Selah to Pursue Ministry With Her Husband; Melodie
16 ccm april 05
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3/11/05
1:49 PM
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insider
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Tell CCM
I had a very depressing time last
week, and I happened to play
the CD Still the Cross by FFH.
The song “You Love Me Anyway”
stood out; it made me realize
that, no matter what I do, God
still loves me. The first verse
struck me especially when it
said: “I thought I had it all but
then I messed it up/ The same
old thing got the best of me.”
That has happened to me so
often, and that is why I got
depressed last week because I
was feeling like, “I can’t do this!”
Then when I heard this song, I
knew that I could do it with
God’s help. Thank you, FFH, for
writing this song. You helped me
to want to keep going!
—Jamee Lee, Ohio
fan fare
04.05
Birthdays
02
04
11
13
15
17
19
22
26
29
Kirk Sullivan
(4HIM)
Mitchell Jones
(Commissioned)
Michael Card
Josh Schwartz
(Seventh Day Slumber)
Chrissy Conway
(ZOEgirl)
Alisa Girard
(ZOEgirl)
Christine Dente
Ginny Owens
Danielle Young
(Caedmon’s Call)
Mark Nash (PFR)
Hitched
A few months ago, Caedmon’s Call percussionist Garret Buell celebrated the best
New Year’s Eve yet… at his own wedding to Alathea member Carrie Theobald. The
couple took their vows in Carrie’s East Tennessee hometown.
Sanctus Real’s drummer, Mark Graalman and his
wife, Susan, recently welcomed a baby boy to their
family. The couple’s firstborn, Benjamin Yo-Sup,
arrived on Feb. 4 weighing 8 lbs. 8 oz. and
measuring 21 inches long. About his son’s name,
Mark said, “It’s Korean tradition that grandfathers
give newborns their middle names. Since Susan is
Korean-American, we asked her father to choose a
biblical name that he liked. He chose Yo-Sup, which
is Korean for Joseph.”
>>>
Photo by David Dobson
Welcome to the World
Crittenden Steps In • They’re Back: Anointed Set to Make its Return As a Duo This Month With Now is
18 ccm april 05
ccmmagazine.com
>>>
CCM_04.05_GetReal.v6
3/11/05
12:24 AM
Page 20
getreal
Russ Taff’s ministry
and 5 Questions
with Tonéx
by Stephanie Ottosen
Takin’ it to the
Streets By Russ Taff
C
5 Questions
with
Tonéx
For some strange reason, extremely talented artists often seem to
go unnoticed. The brilliant Tonéx, however, is not one of those
artists. Since releasing his nascent album, Pronounced Toe-Nay, in
1997, the then unknown performer has watched his career take off.
The artist and pastor followed his debut with 02, which garnered six
Stellar nominations and a Dove Award for “Urban Album of the
Year.” And this year, his latest album, Out the Box, won a whopping
six Stellar Awards.
1.
If you could visit any
place in the world, where
would it be and why?
I really would like to visit
Shangri La. It’s somewhere in
the Tibetan mountains. To find
out more information about this
[fictitious] place, you should
rent a movie entitled Lost
Horizon. This place is beautiful,
and the only rule there is “be
kind.”
2.
What’s your most
embarrassing moment
onstage?
One time I was walking over to
the organ to play it, but it was
kind of dark. I missed a step
and fell on the staircase
leading over to the organ. To
keep my balance I ended up
using the organ keys for
support, so it sounded really
funny—like a cartoon.
>>>
3.
As a kid, what did you
want to be when you grew
up?
I wanted to be a prosecuting
attorney and an amusement
park owner.
4.
What’s one goal you
have as an artist?
To be universal in my appeal
to affect the world and bring
change to a dying society. To be
a humanitarian of Christian
principle and a Nobel Peace
Prize winner.
A few years ago, if you had handed me
a list of society’s most serious
problems and asked me to name the
one closest to my heart, street
prostitution would probably not have
been my first choice! My thoughts
would probably have been something
like this: “They brought that on
themselves; it’s not like it’s a birth
defect or something they couldn’t
help.” This attitude doesn’t reflect
a lack of compassion, just a lack
of understanding. And now that I
have met the women of Magdalene, I
know better.
A few months after my wife, Tori, and
I started attending St. Augustine’s
Chapel, we got involved with
Magdalene House, a long-term residential housing and recovery program
for Nashville women with a criminal
history of prostitution and drug abuse.
It was founded by our pastor, Rev. Becca
Stevens. I was asked to take her down
to Nashville’s infamous Dickerson Road
strip to pick up a woman who had asked
for shelter. When I saw the hopeless
eyes of the women on that street and
watched the cars prowling along like
predatory animals, it was a reality
check for me. I had lived in Nashville for
more than 20 years, and I didn’t even
know this part of town existed.
So Tori and I educated ourselves. We
discovered that 100 percent of the
women Magdalene served were
addicted to drugs, usually crack
cocaine. Many were victims of violent
homes or domestic abuse. Almost all of
them had children, but almost none of
them had custody. And most heart-
breaking of all, we learned that the
average age of the first sexual
experience for women on the street is
between the ages of 7 and 11—often at
the hands of a family member.
But the women are truly remarkable.
They don’t whine about being “victims.”
They take responsibility for their
actions, and they are working hard to
take full advantage of the opportunity
they are given. There are sometimes
setbacks and relapses, but the success
stories are staggering. Magdalene
women are getting their G.E.D.
certificates, attending college and
learning computer, job, financial and life
skills that will enable them to become
productive members of society.
The Magdalene program now has
four residences and even its own
cottage industry, Thistle Farms, which
produces a line of nurturing body
products handmade by the residents.
Tori and I serve on the board of
directors and continue to be moved and
inspired by these amazing women. This
ministry is about helping to change the
world one life at a time until we all live
in a society in which it is no longer
acceptable anywhere for people to be
bought and sold.
For
more
information,
visit
magdalenehouse.com
Before establishing a prolific career as
a solo recording artist, Russ Taff burst
upon the Christian music scene in
1977 as the widely-acclaimed lead
vocalist for The Imperials. He has won
a total of 5 Grammy Awards and 9
GMA Dove Awards.
Russ Taff at a Magdalene Celebration
event at Fisk University Chapel
5.
What’s one question
you’d like to ask God when
you get to heaven?
“God, explain what purpose
‘tragic death’ served in your
overall purpose.”
the Time • Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. makes headlines after unveiling new course titled Kicking
20 ccm april 05
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>>>
CCM_04.05_IndBeat.v8
3/10/05
11:18 PM
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K
industrybeat
A conversation
with Jim Worthen
and the latest
industry buzz
by Jay Swartzendruber
When you look at today’s Christian music scene, what stands out to you?
I wish there was more of a sense of history for our market. What you guys have
done with the “Hall of Fame” page is great. I would just like to encourage the
gatekeepers of the catalogs to get songs up on iTunes. Now that they don’t have to
be pressed onto CD, there’s no excuse for them not to be online so kids can check
out some of the older stuff.
TOOTH & NAIL—JIM’S FUN FACTS
• “According to SoundScan, Tooth & Nail/BEC sold more than two million albums
in 2004—of that exactly 50 percent Christian market and 50 percent
general market.”
• “No Tooth & Nail band that has sold 20,000-plus on their debut album has ever
sold less on their follow-up release.”
• “No band signed directly to Tooth & Nail or its imprints Solid State or BEC for a
multi-album deal has ever gone on to another label and sold more records.”
C
According
to Jim
And the beat goes on…
Jim Worthen (third from the
right), flanked by Tooth &
Nail’s Demon Hunter
For more than 11 years Seattle-based Tooth & Nail Records has laid
claim to the Christian community’s most rabid fans. With a stunning
roster that includes Jeremy Camp, Underoath, Kutless, Starflyer59,
Anberlin, KJ-52, Norma Jean, Aaron Sprinkle and Thousand Foot
Krutch, among others, Tooth & Nail has joined Sparrow and Integrity
as one of the Christian market’s top three selling labels. While founder
Brandon Ebel has long had a cult following, his second in command,
Vice President/Chief Financial Officer Jim Worthen, takes a more
stealth approach. When Jim departed Diamante Music Group in 1997
to join Tooth & Nail, he reunited with Ebel, whom he had befriended
when the two worked at the now defunct Frontline Records in the
early ’90s.
How would you describe your job? Don’t you have your hands in almost
everything?
Yes. I may be working on budgets or come out of a finance meeting and go right
into another meeting looking at T-shirt designs or listening to new bands. I
always want to keep that focus where I’m not just stuck doing finance or
one thing.
Tooth & Nail is certainly a label to watch for breaking artists. Jeremy
Camp, Kutless, Underoath and Thousand Foot Krutch come to mind in
recent years. Who do you expect to emerge in the coming months?
I think of artists whose first albums did extremely well and are now getting
ready to release their second CDs—Falling Up, Emery, Hawk Nelson. Each of
these artists’ debut sold 40 to 50,000-plus. In our history, you know, second
albums just take off from there. Norma Jean’s new album [released] March 1,
and we have big expectations for the group. [Editor’s note: First week’s sales
exceeded 19,000 copies!] It’s one of the heavier bands out there, and the
members worked that first album for years and sold 60,000 copies. The Mae
record [released] in March also, and that one’s going to be big.
>>>
A Day Behind the
Scenes with Jim
8:30 Download current sales report
and discuss with Brandon [Ebel]
9:00 Answer e-mail
10:00 Company prayer meeting
10:30 Watch brand new Haste The
Day video
10:45 Review updated budget reports
and make necessary adjustments
12:00 Lunch with new T&N signing
Number One Gun
1:00 Answer e-mail
1:45 Proofread new Living Sacrifice
layout
2:00 Production/new release
scheduling meeting
3:15 Starbucks!
3:30 Review month-to-date
expenditures
4:00 More e-mail
4:30 Instant message with sales
managers in Nashville and L.A.
5:00 Review invoices before
submitting for payment
5:45 Discuss new Telecast recording
progress with Josh White
An impressive rendition of the Ashley
Cleveland song “Power of Love”—
originally featured on her 2002 album
Second Skin—aired on FOX’s hit TV
show “American Idol” in February.
Performed by semifinalist Nadia
Turner, the song was written by
Cleveland
and
her
husband,
musician/producer Kenny Greenberg.
Entertainment Weekly’s Michael
Slezak stated that Turner’s “flawless
take on the gospel-rock song ‘Power of
Love’ was week 1’s biggest—and best—
surprise.”
The Passion ‘05 Live EP, which
features new songs by Chris Tomlin
and Matt Redman, cracked iTunes’
overall Top 10 in February. Look for the
April 12 release of Passion: How Great
Is Our God (sixsteps), the full-length
album from the ‘05 conference.
at the Darkness: Social Justice, Spiritual Longing and U2 • Dead Poetic Working on sophomore record •
22 ccm april 05
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3/11/05
12:54 PM
Page 24
livingthemessage
by Michael Card
“You, God—don’t put off my rescue. Hurry
and help me!”
—PSALM 22:19
AS PARAPHRASED IN
THE MESSAGE
Our Next Companion on the Journey of Lament: David
We now come to the third leg of our journey of lament. Last month we
met our first traveling companion, Job. He was an example to us of
someone who understood that true worship means offering our suffering
to God as well as our praise. Job
taught us about not letting go of
God no matter how painful the
David’s life was a wilderness;
struggle might be. He helped us
but as we have seen,
to see that the real answer to
wilderness
is the place
prayer is always the presence of
where the journey of true
God, for in the close of his story
worship begins.
he didn’t get back the children he
had lost (though God gave him
other children). He got God back!
Now we meet up with David,
the great composer of lament in the Bible. By far, the majority of the
psalms are his, and the majority of these are laments.
David’s life was fashioned for lament. He was born in the wilderness
outside Bethlehem, the youngest of eight brothers. He was confronted all
his life with powerful enemies such as Goliath and Saul. He was betrayed
by his own son. In the end, he almost forfeited his kingdom because of an
adulterous affair that led to murder. David seems to have had only one
true friend in his lonely life—Jonathan, the son of Saul, his most bitter
enemy. When Saul and Jonathan were killed together in the battle of
Mount Gilboa, David composed a lament for both of them. David’s life
was a wilderness; but as we have seen, wilderness is the place where the
journey of true worship begins.
24 ccm april 05
ccmmagazine.com
As we join David on this journey of lament, he reminds us that the path
is taking us somewhere. The course of this trip is outlined in David’s
psalms. It began in the Garden of Eden, where the simple obedience that
God required was lacking in the first couple and will end someday in the
New Jerusalem, where His presence will be restored to us. It is a journey
toward true intimacy with God. If we follow the path David marks out for
us in Psalms, it will lead us from the starting point of obedience, to the
law (Ps. 1), to an unheard-of closeness to Him that will be reflected in our
worship (Ps. 150). (If you remember, this is the same journey Job made in
his experience of lament.)
Let’s look at some of the signposts David has provided for us on our
journey:
PSALM 13 The key phrase “How long?” gives voice to the lament of all of
us who struggle to maintain the hope that God will “show up.” Lament
helps us to hold on until He does.
PSALM 27 This psalm seems to make a confusing step backward, beginning
with confidence and ending with doubt. But the truth is, often we do lose
ground in our struggle to hold on to God. Here David provides us with the
words for when we do falter, because the truth is, no matter which direction
we find ourselves moving, there is always a reason to hold on to hope.
PSALM 51 In this psalm David provides the words we need to realize the
depth of our sin. This was a lament he composed after his adultery with
Bathsheba (II Sam. 11). Here we learn that all sin is, ultimately, sin against
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Page 25
God (v.4). David learned that all he had left—a
broken spirit and a repentant heart—was all
God ever wanted.
PSALM 22 This may be the darkest of all the
psalms in the Psalter. The musical title “The
Deer of the Dawn” hardly seems to match the
forsaken lyrics. Psalm 13 asks the question,
“How long?”; this psalm simply asks, “Why?”
This is, of course, the psalm Jesus quoted from
the cross. In these dark words Jesus found the
perfect expression of His own agony. As He
experienced the hell of the hidden face of God,
Jesus screamed the question most every lament
asks: “Why have You forgotten me?”
In verse 19 a long-awaited shift occurs:
19 O Lord, do not stay away!
You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!
Rescue me from a violent death;
spare my precious life from these dogs.
20
Snatch me from the lions’ jaws,
and from the horns of these wild oxen.
21
Then I will declare the wonder of Your
name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise
You among all Your people.
22
“‘Blessed are those who mourn for they will
be comforted’ (Matthew 5:4).
These are the words of Jesus, part of His
introduction to the Sermon on the Mount.
Many believe that this blessing and the seven
others that make up the Beatitudes are a
roadmap of sorts, guiding us from being an
enemy of God to trusting in God and finally
to living like His Son daily. Early on in this
journey towards godliness, Jesus stresses the
importance of mourning; it’s a step that
cannot be skipped. This mourning He blesses
isn’t over the loss of a loved one or a job. It
is lament over the poverty in our spirit – the
lack of anything right in us (Matthew 5:3).
Without this kind of sorrow we cannot fully
trust Jesus for salvation. Wailing over our sin
is key to repentance and to understanding
what it is we have been saved from by Jesus
Christ. So we cry out with Paul when we
examine our hearts, ‘What a wretched man
I am! Who will rescue me from this body of
death?’ (Romans 7:24).” —Shaun Groves
Praise the Lord, all you who fear Him!
Honor Him, all you descendants of Jacob!
Show Him reverence, all you descendants of
Israel!
23
For He has not ignored the suffering of
the needy. He has not turned and walked
away. He has listened to their cries for help.
24
I will praise You among all the people;
I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those
who worship You.
25
The poor will eat and be satisfied.
All who seek the Lord will praise Him.
Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.
26
The whole earth will acknowledge the
Lord and return to him. People from every
nation will bow down before Him.
27
For the Lord is king! He rules all the
nations.
28
Let the rich of the earth feast and
worship. Let all mortals—those born to die—
bow down in His presence.
29
Future generations will also serve Him.
Our children will hear about the wonders of
the Lord.
30
His righteous acts will be told to those
yet unborn.They will hear about everything
He has done. —New Living Translation
31
The lament concludes with a long passage of
praise in which the psalmist reaches out to
every conceivable group. The journey of Psalm
22 is the journey of lament—from the darkest
dark to the brightest light, from the most
forsaken suffering of Jesus to His eventual
experience of the “joy that was before Him”
(Hebrews 12:2).
On an infinitely smaller scale, this is the
journey we, too, must walk: the journey that
lament bids us to make—from the painful
experience of the effect of our own sin to the
glorious freedom that only comes from breaking
through the darkness of that impenetrable cloud
and into the glory of Presence.
Michael Card is an award-winning scholar, musician and radio broadcaster
who resides in Franklin, Tennessee. His latest book and study guide titled A Sacred
Sorrow deal with the painful circumstances surrounding the lives of Job, David,
Jeremiah and Jesus: circumstances that that provoked these men into a unique song
of worship. Visit MichaelCard.com for more information.
ccmmagazine.com
april 05 ccm 25
CCM FESTIVAL ADVERTORIAL
S
P
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A
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CCM’s EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
CHRISTIAN
SUMMER FESTIVALS
B
Y
The
A
N
D
Y
snow is finally melting for those in
America’s most arctic areas, and the spring chill
all across the country is slowly fading into a
summer breeze. In addition to barbecues,
parties will envelop backyards and jeans will be
traded in for shorts. But the real celebration of
the season comes in the form of Christian
music festivals. Indeed, there’s no better way to
ring in the warmer months than with the
biggest and best ministers of live music. And
this year’s festivities are proving to be among
the grandest yet. Need proof?
Just read on and see.
Some concertgoers are
extremely dedicated, hopping
around from city to city and
event to event—literally
planning their summers
around such spectacular
soirées. Perhaps they’ll divide
their destinations by region,
visiting the most acclaimed
in each area and meeting up
A
R
G
Y
R
A
K
I
with new friends along the way to explore the
nation’s best to their fullest potential.
Less intense but still fervent regulars often
have a singular, annual routine of hitting the
open trail (well, more like the yellow-lined
road), unfolding gigantic maps and packing a
cooler of Coke for the journey in the car. Some
drive four hours; others may spend an
afternoon, while the extremely dedicated make
a day-long pilgrimage to their all-time, most
awesome hot spot for guaranteed satisfaction.
Then there are those who
may be major fans of
Christian music but,
perhaps, have yet to
experience the festival circuit
firsthand. Granted, the
veterans are probably
chuckling right now, but
they must remember back to
the days of being in the
inexperienced travelers’
shoes when someone had to
S
GUIDE 2005
show them the ropes.
No matter what the audience, CCM’s 2005
festival guide is the surefire manual to making
this summer the coolest ever. It features some
of the most popular, jam-packed extravaganzas
of all time, which promise to not only warrant
an unforgettable experience but also a
spiritually uplifting encounter. So sit back in a
hammock, kick off those sandals, splash on
that sunscreen and get ready to bask in the
glory of this year’s many incredible festivals.
Alive Festival
June 22-25 / Canal Fulton, Ohio
(Clays Park Resort)
Those anywhere near Ohio, its surrounding
states or the whole nation for that matter have
been flocking by the thousands to the Alive
Festival since it first opened its doors in 1988.
The extended weekend event takes place
within some of the most spacious and scenic
confines of the Canal Fulton vicinity, including
the acoustically pristine and visually stunning
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In addition to that unforgettable music lineup, there’s also a three-day worship conference
sponsored by WorshipTogether.com (free with
every festival admission). Such an addition will
enlighten, equip and educate those within the
worship field with some of the most notable
experts in that arena. Whether involved with
small services or mega-churches, everyone who
attends is sure to return home renewed.
Amphitheatre Stage, Woods Stage, Beach
Stage, Alive Café and Family Fun Tent. These
variety-filled venues have housed legends,
leaders and breakthrough artists, providing
something for virtually every demographic,
denomination and artistic disposition. Over
the years such sights have been a mecca for
cultures to combine, various visions to merge
and the body of Christ to be lifted up with one
rousing voice.
“Alive started as a festival that would offer a
chance to hear over 50 concerts and speakers at
one huge festival and a way to reach out to
people who may not come into a church, but
would come if invited to a music festival,” says
director Bill Graening.“[It’s] also a way to
bring various churches together as a
celebration of our faith and belief in
Christ regardless of denomination or
church affiliation.”
That far-reaching scope has served its
purpose, reeling in seekers who’ve eventually
become new believers, while becoming a source
of sustenance, encouragement and
entertainment for the faithful. This year’s lineup is packed with diversity, sure to please
virtually any palette. It includes major players
Switchfoot, Third Day, Relient K,
tobyMac, Audio Adrenaline, Pillar,
Superchic[k], John Reuben and Blindside.
Also along for the ride are rising stars Sarah
Kelly, Sanctus Real, Tree63, KJ-52,
Kutless, Mars Ill, House of Heroes,
Building 429, Starfield, Across the Sky,
Palisade, Mute Math, Tomorrow Today
and Day of Fire.
“We love to serve the artists who come to
Alive and make them our guests,” Graening
says. “Many artists say Alive is their favorite
festival…because we treat them as our honored
guests, not just artists we pay to play. That’s due
to our amazing staff of volunteers, many of
whom have helped serve at Alive for all 17 years!”
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“[It will include]
training for modern
worship with 18
seminars for
worship leaders,
pastors, musicians,
vocalists and
technicians,”
Graening continues.
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Like the aforementioned desire to
reach beyond the church’s walls,
this is yet another example of Alive
extending its arm into the
community for the good of the
gospel. In fact, it’s been found that
besides having an enjoyable time,
many attend for all four days and
receive Christ by the end.
For Graening, his wife and the staff, “It’s all
about serving the customers by providing a
safe, diverse festival with great camping, hot
showers and clean restrooms,” he says.
“[There’s also] swimming, waterslides,
basketball, volleyball and tons of concerts with
the best Christian music available, giant video
walls with sound and lighting [plus]
encouraging speakers and teachers…We give a
clear gospel message each evening at main stage
and love to see thousands come to know Jesus
as their personal Savior through the ministry of
Alive! That keeps us excited to work on
another festival year in and year out.”
For additional information, log on to alive.org.
Kingdom Bound
July 31-August 3 / Buffalo, New York
(Six Flags Darien Lake)
Imagine all the opportunities a festival can
bring merged with all the enjoyment of an
amusement park, complete with roller coasters,
shows and spectacles. That’s exactly what the
New York area gets treated to every year with
Kingdom Bound Ministries, an undertaking that
began in the late ’80s with the goal of sharing the
Good News through Christian music. The initial
dream first came together with talent agent Fred
Caserta and musician Mike Caputy, who moved
at a grassroots level, corralling local pastors to get
involved. One of the tag team’s earliest events was
“Seminars and workshops will be led by Chris a mid-’80s concert featuring Sheila Walsh, Russ
Tomlin, David Crowder, Vicky Beeching,
Taff and Mylon Le Fevre, which eventually
Peter Furler of Newsboys and speakers
attracted the attention of a special events
Malcolm DuPlessis and Pete Greig. Also
coordinator at Six Flags Darien Lake.
we have added more worship to the festival
“The festival began and continues to be
and continue to offer youth leaders a special
presented in an amusement park, which is
tent to get free CDs, resources, water and
open to the public during the event,” explains
snacks. [They can] meet artists and speakers
executive director Donna M. Russo. “In 1986,
while getting time to rest during the festival.”
our president, Fred Caserta, was approached by
Even beyond these outreach extensions, a direct the park and asked to put together a Christian
invitation is given to 500 youth and counselors
day of music [which] grew into the first festival
from children’s homes and youth organizations in in 1987. 2005 will mark the 19th festival at
the area that don’t have funds to otherwise attend. Six Flags Darien Lake.”
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This summer truly promises to be a
milestone year, culling together fan favorites
from the past two decades, along with today’s
top new talent. The line-up is led by the likes of
Michael W. Smith, tobyMac, MercyMe,
Rachael Lampa, Newsboys, Rebecca St.
James and Jeremy Camp. And fest-goers will
also likely want to check out Denver & the
Mile High Orchestra, Bethany Dillon,
Jason Upton, Andrew Carlton and Tree63.
On the speaking side, all are looking forward to
acclaimed actor Stephen Baldwin, who will
share his story of coming to Christ and his
career in the movies, along with testimonies
from several others with prominent pasts.
“Kingdom Bound 2005 will feature the
BMX demonstrations of ‘Livin’ It,’ along with
skateboard demos and the Word from Stephen
Baldwin,” Russo relates. “Also, relatively new
to the festival is the ‘Send a Friend’ program in
which sponsors help to send over 500
underprivileged or handicapped young people
to the festival for a day. The ‘Send a Friend’
day will include the amusement park, all
festival activities and a special message from
Reggie Dabbs.”
After nearly 20 years in operation, Kingdom
Bound remains focused in its vision and
flawless in its execution. “The purpose for this
event is two-fold: to bring people to a saving
knowledge of Jesus Christ and to encourage
believers in their walk with God,” Russo says.
“Personally, it is always amazing
to see people touched and
changed by an encounter with the
living God, and that is what we
hope to accomplish every year.”
For additional information, log on to
kingdombound.org.
GMA Music in the Rockies
July 31-August 6 / Estes Park, Colorado
(YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center)
Formerly known as Seminar in the Rockies,
GMA Music in the Rockies has been the
premier Christian music seminar series and
talent competition since 1974. Since then, the
festival-style event has been the meeting point
for aspiring artists and songwriters who come
from all corners of America to share their
stories, perform songs and receive feedback
from several established industry veterans.
“Music in the Rockies is unique because it’s
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more than a concert festival,” says GMA
spokesperson Tricia Whitehead. “There is the
talent competition, which has been responsible
for launching the careers of artists including
Jars of Clay, Stacie Orrico, Rachael Lampa,
Nichole Nordeman and BarlowGirl. There are
seminar tracks for aspiring songwriters, artists
and worship leaders taught by the most
respected professionals in the industry,
including some seminars taught by artists.”
In this year’s illustrious line-up (with additional
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acts to be announced as the event date nears) are
Newsboys, Jeremy Camp and Salvador. The
genre lines continue to be blurred with
additional style shifts courtesy of Tree63,
Brian Free & Assurance, Margaret
Becker, Paul Baloche, Ginny Owens, Chris
Rice, Tonéx, Natalie Grant and Denver &
the Mile High Orchestra. Add in key industry
executives, and GMA Music in the Rockies is a
must attend event for those looking to lift their
music ministries to the next level.
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“Music in the Rockies is so important because
it provides a unique and unparalleled
opportunity for aspiring artists and songwriters
to be seen and heard by the key music industry
decision makers. During the music
competitions and performances, they are also
given priceless mentoring and professional
development. And the seminars help them to
succeed wherever they go and at whatever level
of music they pursue,” Whitehead summarizes.
“With Music in the Rockies, we always hope to
discover the next Jars of Clay or Stacie Orrico;
but even more important to us, we want to
equip and inspire future generations of artists
and music ministers.”
On top of that education and countless
enhancement opportunities, the YMCA of the
Rockies Estes Park Center is set within the
breathtaking confines of Colorado’s Rocky
Mountains. Between the fresh mountain
breezes, awe-inspiring sunshine, roaming
wildlife and natural beauty, the creative juices
and inspirational streams are likely to flow. With
such an abundance of things to see, lasting
memories are sure to be formed and greater
artistic ventures achieved.
For more information about Music in the
Rockies, log on to gospelmusic.org.
Creation Festival East
June 29-July 2 / Mt. Union, Pennsylvania
(The Agape Farm)
Creation Festival West
July 27-30/ George, Washington
(Gorge Amphitheater)
Since the late 1970s, Creation Festival has
become a leading entity in music lovers’
summertime vacation planning. Though it’s
now a national dynasty, the festival’s roots were
humble, starting with east coast concert
promoters Tim Landis and Harry Thomas,
who spent much of the psychedelic period
promoting “Jesus Music” line-ups. “After one
of the New Jersey concerts, Tim came over to
[my] house and at the kitchen table [we] found
out [we] both had a similar vision,” says
director Harry Thomas. “Music is a very
effective way to translate the gospel to the next
generation, and [we] both felt it was time to do
a festival featuring a strong emphasis on
teaching and music directed to the youth. After
prayer and taking some bold steps in faith,
Creation ’79 was launched. From the very first
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festival, we recognized the calling God had
upon this event to reach young people with
His love.”
And that mission has continued since the
East’s edition took residency at the Agape Farm
halfway between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh,
truly a gorgeous environment with its expanse
of wooded areas. Between the natural main
stage amphitheater, the incredibly beautiful
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stunning views of various cliffs only adding to
the mind-blowing production within the
facility. A similar pool of artists to Creation
East is on deck for the West, including Audio
Adrenaline, Newsboys, TobyMac, Michael
W. Smith, Jeremy Camp, Relient K,
David Crowder Band, Casting Crowns
and MercyMe.
Regardless of which one a fan attends—or
both for the especially brave—all are promised
amazing extracurriculars, along with avenues for
spiritual enhancement. “We have communion, a
candlelight service, extreme games, after-hours
events, a youth workers’ VIP hospitality tent, a
children’s tent, vertical worship tent and
seminars,” Thomas shares. “Creation is more
than a music event. We have kept focus on our
goals, and we always honor the Word of
God…Our main goal is to communicate the
gospel of Christ. Nothing beats seeing
thousands of young people
hiking trails
streaming forward to the prayer
and the
tent to yield their lives to Christ.”
uplifting
spectacle of
For additional information about both Creation
Festivals, log on to gospelcom.net/creation.
nearby
mountains, the
facility is truly
one of a kind
June 30-July 3 / Bushnell, Illinois
and enhances
(Cornerstone Farm)
the already
The origins of the central Illinois-based
enormous
Cornerstone Festival date back to conversations
list of star
at the magazine of the same name in 1984. That
power on
periodical had already been a source of spiritual
each year’s insight for those who lived within the Jesus
round-up. People USA (a.k.a. JPUSA) community and
Included
eventually translated to the stage for a wide array
in the
of musical, artistic, athletic and meditative
ranks for
expression. “[Cornerstone started as] a
this summer are Switchfoot, Newsboys,
place where Christians and even
Michael W. Smith, MercyMe, TobyMac, those who weren’t so sure what they
Audio Adrenaline, David Crowder Band, believe could come together and
Casting Crowns and Relient K.
enjoy great music and engage in
With consistently solid line-ups like that
meaningful discussions and
every year, it’s no wonder why the Creation
workshops about art and faith and
legend reached concertgoers in the West,
life on this earth,” recalls festival
inspiring a second edition eight years ago at the director John Herrin. “A festival that
equally magnificent Gorge Amphitheater. The
wasn’t so steeped in ‘Christianese,’ one that
stage is one of the world’s most recognized and young people could feel free to explore their faith
frequently visited, marking the grounds where
and yet be themselves.”
the Dave Matthews Band recorded its latest
And for the past 20-plus years that tradition
concert collection. Pollstar (one of the
has continued, focusing on many of the more
industry’s leading tour publications) named it
alternative acts in Christian music, along with
the nation’s best outdoor concert facility, with
those who’ve made significant impact in their
Cornerstone Festival
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mainstream spillover. Keeping up
with such a balance and offering
attendees a chance to look, dress and
encounter faith in a variety of forms
has made Cornerstone one of the
most progressive and well-planned
gatherings throughout the whole
nation. As a result of regularly rising
attendance, expansion is also in order,
including 10 official stages featuring over
300 artists, in addition to what Herrin
describes as “campsite/generator stages” with
tons of new bands. The line-up is virtually
endless as well, including heavy hitters
Switchfoot, Jars of Clay and Third Day,
plus niche regulars Ashley Cleveland, Joy
Electric, Starflyer 59, Zao, Over the
Rhine and Duvall.
On top of that illustrious
list, many of the other
attractions have been beefed
up on an incredibly massive
farm nestled in Illinois’
attractive rolling prairies.
“We have expanded
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“It is an event where young people can have lots of fun fellowshipping
in a safe environment. Safe from drugs and alcohol but, just as
important, safe to figure out what God has for them.”
For additional information on Cornerstone Festival, log on to
cornerstonefestival.com.
DC Fest with Luis Palau
October 8 - 9 / Washington, D.C.
(The National Mall)
Western New York’s Premier Christian Festival
Newsboys • Rebecca St. James • Mercy Me • Michael W. Smith • and more!
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just people like myself coming together to explore
our faith and challenge o n e a n o t h e r t o g r o w in
o u r understanding of God’s love,” Herrin concludes.
19 TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL • JULY 31 - AUGUST 3, 2005
www.kingdombound.org
O
‘Cornerstone yoU’ to 10 tents with over 250 hours of workshops and
seminars,” Herrin continues. “Our commitment to the arts has grown
with the introduction of the ‘Burning Brush’ and multiple ‘pilgrimage
sites’ scattered across the grounds, where artists will be sharing their work.
‘Flickerings,’ our independent film fest, is in its fifth year and growing.
Sports, skateboarding, children’s ministry and lots of great fun and
fellowship are on the menu this year at Cornerstone.”
Whether a committed believer or an observer on the fringe, a trip to this
Midwest haven is sure to re-ignite or light a faith fire, superceding
background, musical tastes or personal interests. Though everything will
make for round-the-clock entertainment, spiritual growth is also an
essential component of organizers’ blueprints. “Cornerstone is really
Central Oregon Festival
with Luis Palau
1-800-461-4485 • 716-633-1117
I
July 23 / Bend, Oregon
Putting together a festival of any magnitude is an
enormous task that takes an incredible amount of
planning, prayer, resources and assistance. Add in variables
like setting up in a major city, bringing along Christian
music’s most prominent acts and having state-of-the-art
sound, lights and sporting contests, and it’s truly a
daunting task. But despite all of the
work needed and the exorbitant
costs, the Luis Palau Evangelistic
Association continues its roll of
amazing outpourings, which are
remarkably free to the public on each
and every occasion!
“In 1999, we started a new ‘model’ of
mass evangelism focusing on free,
family-friendly festivals that combined
an evangelistic message with major
Christian artists, a food court, Veggie
Tales’ kids area and extreme sports demos,” explains
Andrew Palau, national festival director for the Luis Palau
Association. “Since then, close to four and a half million
people have attended a Luis Palau Festival!
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“What makes these unique is that
young people and families are
drawn to hear the Good News in
a welcoming, fun environment
where believers and seekers are
equally welcome.”
OCTOBER 8-9, 2005
T H E N AT I O N A L M A L L
The tagline for this cutting-edge and relevant
outreach direction is cleverly called “Great Music
/Good News,” in which churchgoers are encouraged
to invite their fellow parishioners but also friends,
family and co-workers who may not already know
the gospel. The fact that each event is held in a
neutral setting (often a giant public gathering place)
helps break down any
discomfort barriers
and brings together
everyone in various
aspects of the
community.
“This is the first year where we are focusing
most of our resources on a single-major U.S.
event—the D.C. Festival on the National Mall in
Washington, D.C., on October 8 and 9,” Palau
continues. “Besides being within steps of the U.S.
Capitol and the Washington Monument, the D.C.
Fest will bless the city through service projects in
the schools and neighborhoods, as well as a
massive food drive. Our ‘Livin’ It’ action sports
demo team will be wrapping up a big summer tour
featuring skate and BMX pro demos on a custombuilt skate park.”
Aside from that nationally attractive event
(which will be broadcast on more than 1,000 radio
stations and later as a television special), a second
effort is being staged near the Palau camp’s home
turf in Oregon. “For our friends in the Pacific
Northwest, we will be having a one-day festival on
July 23 in Bend, Ore., which is a couple hours
from our hometown of Portland,” Palau offers. “It
will have most of the components of our big-city
events, just on a smaller scale.”
Though the final musical array for each has yet
to be announced, previous acts have included
Steven Curtis Chapman, Kirk Franklin, MercyMe,
TobyMac, Point of Grace, Jump 5 and Audio
Adrenaline. Expect a similar selection and many
more in what is sure to stir the soul and hopefully
impact an entire region with the timeless message
of truth!
w w w. d c f e s t i v a l . c o m
COME SERVE ON A MISSIONS TEAM,
THEN ENJOY THE WEEKEND
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For additional information about these Luis Palau
festival events, log on to palau.org.
GREAT MUSIC! GOOD NEWS!
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Fish Fest
April 16 / Irvine, California
(Verizon Wireless Amphitheater)
Kicking off the summer festival season in
sunny Southern California is the fourth
annual Fish Fest sponsored by 95.9 The Fish
radio station.
“When The Fish went on the air in August
of 2000, we launched Splash Bash at Raging
Waters in San Dimas that October to
celebrate,” on-air personality Chuck Tyler
explains. “It was very well received.” In 2002
the festival was moved to the 16,000-seat
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.
“The turnout shows there’s a real appetite for
a family-friendly festival. You can bring the
kids and not be fearful of over-the-top
language coming at you from the stage or the
audience,” Tyler says.
Appearing at this year’s Fish Fest are some of
contemporary Christian music’s biggest rock
and pop artists, including Michael W. Smith,
Audio Adrenaline, tobyMac, Selah,
Kutless, Watermark, By The Tree and
Hawk Nelson. Also slated to perform are
some exciting up-and-coming bands, such as
Day of Fire, Olivia the Band, Hyper Static
Union and Krystal Meyers.
“Who gets to perform at Fish Fest is really
chosen by the public, who buy their albums
and call in requesting them at the station,” says
Tim Taber, president of Costa Mesa-based
Transparent Productions, the leading Christian
concert promotions company in Southern
California and promoter of Fish Fest. Fish Fest
will feature bands on the stage of the
amphitheater, called the Mainstage, and at the
smaller Festival Stage by the main entrance.
This year Fish Fest will also feature the
third-annual Starfish Winner.
“It’s our version of ‘American Idol,’” Tyler
jokes. “We went on the air telling people to
send us a CD of one song they’d sing. We
narrowed it down to 10 finalists, and snippets
of their songs were then put on the Internet,
where listeners could go and hear and vote for
their favorite.”
“The station representatives and the public
thus chose the winner,” Taber says. The lucky
winner then gets the chance to have a
professional demo made of his/her song and
gets to perform at Fish Fest and share the stage
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with his/her favorite artists.
The “original” Fish station, 95.9 KFSH-FM,
covers Southern California from its base in
Anaheim and received the NAB Marconi Award
for Best Religious Station for 2002. Today, 15
Fish format stations across the country offer
programming that’s safe for the whole family.
thefish959.com.
Fish Fest
By The Tree
Michael W. Smith
Olivia the Band
Kutless
April 17 / Sacramento, California
(Arco Arena)
Fish Fest is excited to expand the festivities
to Northern California. This year marks the
inaugural Fish Fest sponsored by 105.5 KKFSFM and features the same line-up as its
Southern Cali sister festival, with the addition
of Lincoln Brewster. A Starfish winner from
105.5 will also get the chance to perform.
The all-day festival also has two stages, one
indoor and one outdoor, to keep patrons
entertained. Similar to the Southern California
Fish Fest, there will be family attractions,
vendor booths and various exhibits
surrounding the arena. The radio stations will
be broadcasting live with artist interviews and
backstage commentary.
Exclusive to the Northern California Fish
Fest is a skate park from Glory Skateboards.
The mission of Glory Skateboards is to
combine trendy clothes and apparel,
professional skateboard decks, accessories and
services from skate demos, with live music.
Glory’s focus is on one-on-one mentoring as a
way of reaching the youth culture in a positive
manner. It wants to let youth know they can
still be a part of what’s in without sacrificing
their personal beliefs.
Whether you live near Irvine or Sacramento,
Fish Fest offers something for everyone.
“‘Christian music’ is a label that encompasses
a variety of genres because it’s faith-based, not
style-based,” Taber explains. “Whatever the
style, the message has to do with faith and a
life in Christ. So it’s positive music.”
Tickets to both events, presented in
conjunction with Transparent Productions, are
available through Ticketmaster.
1055thefish.net.
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CCM_04.05_!.v16
3/10/05
11:39 PM
Page 39
As any good purveyor of pop culture knows, trends come
and go faster than you can say “Hammer pants.” But
when something truly extraordinary comes along,
you know it’s not going to be in the 99-cent bin any time
soon. But what is it exactly that separates the 15 minutes
of fame from the long-term success story? It’s a little
something we at CCM like to call !.
Now for all of you who’ve ever relished the fact that you
discovered something grand before your friends did, this
cheat sheet of sorts is for you. Get the inside track as we
break down everything that’s ! in 2005--from the best in
rock to ringtones, from southern gospel to Smokie Norful,
from politics to hot pop and everything in between.
By the CCM staff
and contributors
CCM_04.05_!.v16
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11:13 PM
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It’s no secret Pillar and Kutless have led the way in the
recent “mainstreaming” of hard music within the
Christian community. Impressive album sales aside,
consider it was just last year that Pillar performed on the
nationally televised GMA Music Awards broadcast, and
Kutless has already rocked the stage at one of the Rev.
Billy Graham’s crusades.
In the broader music world, though, there’s no faithdriven hard music group that’s been more influential than
P.O.D. These San Diego-based rockers signed with
Atlantic Records without ever toning down their message,
and even with radio success, the band has no plans to
tone down its music either. With a new album slated for
2005, the Southtown boys have recruited producer Greg
Fidelman, best known for working with such hard rockers
as Slipknot, System of a Down and Audioslave.
The future looks especially bright for Christian hard
music with other extremely credible bands on the rise.
For example, consider the momentum of current
hardcore breakout Underoath. And nothing says “Give
grandma a heart attack” like Demon Hunter, whose
songs include such church choir faves as “Beheaded,”
“Coffin Builder” and “My Throat Is An Open Grave.” Jokes
aside, the kids love this Solid State Records band, and
when it comes to faith-sharing, who’s going to interrupt a
group of guys who call themselves Demon Hunter?
The same boldness can be seen in their labelmates
Norma Jean, who just released O’ God, The Aftermath and
saw a whopping 19,000-plus copies of the album
snatched up its first week out. (To give you perspective,
that’s 5,000 more than Switchfoot’s The Beautiful
Letdown sold its first week!) “From our merchandise to
the album artwork to our stage show, we like everything
to have meaning,” says Norma Jean drummer Daniel
Davison. “We want to make sure everything is pleasing to
the Lord and pleasing to His glory.” D. J .
Thanks to the diligence and vision of so many artists, rock & roll claims more
credibility in today’s Christian music scene than most anyone might have
imagined just a decade ago. Switchfoot and Relient K lead the new wave of
Christian acts attaining mainstream success, as artists like Skillet and
Thousand Foot Krutch seem poised to follow suit. Mainstay rockers Third Day
continue to pick up honors such as the second Grammy trophy they nabbed in
February, while rising rockers Sanctus Real dominate the dial as Christian
radio’s most played rock act of late. Of course, let’s not forget SoCal product
Jeremy Camp, who continues winning fans over at an astronomical rate.
Indeed, Christian rock’s current success owes a debt of gratitude to all the
acts that fought for creativity and credibility in the ’90s. From Sixpence None
the Richer to MxPx, bands expressed their art and faith on the very same
stages as their general market counterparts. Starflyer 59 is one such band
that remains as relevant today as it was over a decade ago when it struck its
first chords.
“I have never wanted to be one of those bands that, if you listen to its album
ten years later, you’re embarrassed you ever bought it in the first place,” says
Starflyer singer-guitarist Jason Martin, whose band was one of the inaugural
Tooth & Nail acts. “As artists, we are hoping to accomplish what we have been
trying to do since we started, simply put out good music.” DAV I D J E N I S O N
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Page 41
Get out of the box—fast. That seems to be a
common thread linking ! pop acts MercyMe
and Casting Crowns. As debut artists (2001
and 2003, respectively) each shot to
popularity as though shuttled by the
Superman ride at Six Flags. Already with a tail
of success as long as Haley’s Comet, these
stars still have that ! brightness today.
American Music Award-winning MercyMe
recently landed its third mainstream hit single
with “Homesick” on the heels of hits “I Can
Only Imagine” and “Here With Me.” With
platinum and gold-selling projects to its credit,
the six-man group didn’t have to imagine
being one of the top-selling acts of 2004.
Indeed, MercyMe was the only group with two
albums—Almost There and Undone (INO)—
appearing in the Top 10 of the year end
Christian album sales chart.
Casting Crowns—boy, what else can we say
about these kids? The stats are well-known,
and when a cynical fellow journalist declared
the other day he really digs this record, that
summed it up. Mark Hall & Co. are the real
deal. With seven nominations to convert to
Dove statuettes this month and a boatload of
records sold, Crowns are polished and ready
to rule.
Veteran pop acts stand at the gate ready to
challenge the younger, newer establishment,
however. Seven-time Dove Award-winning
Nichole Nordeman releases her project
produced by Jay Joyce (Patty Griffin, Abra
Moore) next month after a two-year hiatus.
May also finds Latin diva Jaci Velasquez
bowing a new record, and August is tentatively
slated for Rebecca St. James’ next offering.
Now who’s it? G R E G O RY RU M B U R G
Earlier this year the Gospel Music Association sent out a state-of-the-industry
press release which announced: “…there has definitely been a shift [in
Christian music sales] toward rock, hip-hop, urban and other styles particularly
popular with younger consumers.” While faith-based hip-hop has benefited
from this increasing momentum in recent years--make no mistake--it has been
a slow build.
Keeping the faith, Christian hip-hop’s high profile advocate tobyMac
continues to create inventive music while also helping equip a younger
generation of artists. And breakouts such as GRITS, Tonéx and The Cross
Movement have shown fans that the church’s hip-hop community is not only
talent-filled, but extremely diverse. Since the late ’90s, GRITS has emerged as
Christian music’s most high-profile hip-hop group. The Tennessee two’s resume
includes Dove Awards, a Grammy nomination, film (Something’s Gotta Give)
and television (“The Real World,” “MTV Cribs”) soundtracks, along with editorial
love from the likes of SPIN, XXL, Vibe, The Source and URB.
Tonéx, meanwhile, continues to make surprising in-roads for faith-based hiphop, especially in the more traditional gospel music world. The 28-year-old
minister from Southern California owned this year’s Stellar Awards, walking
away with six, including “Artist of the Year” and “Song of the Year”—the latter for
his standout “Make Me Over” off his double-disc release, Out the Box (Verity).
The Cross Movement is another primary reason the future looks bright for
Christian hip-hop. The group has not only managed to grow its fanbase—
approaching 100,000 strong—with each release, it’s even launched its own
record label, appropriately dubbed Cross Movement Records. Founding
member and label head John Wells is preparing to unveil a new campaign
called “Why Hip-Hop?” He explains, “This will unite various forces already
thriving in the Christian hip-hop arena and look to educate the industry about
the facts and the potential of hip-hop music, appeal to those who can help this
genre and ministry be better represented to a seeking generation, and
demonstrate what hip-hop music, art and culture can look like when submitted
to the Kingdom agenda of Jesus Christ.” JAY S WA RT Z E N D RU B E R
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MuteMath photos by David Dobson
CCM_04.05_!.v16
Though entertainment choices are plentiful amongst a series of
package tours, this year’s ! list topper has to be the tag team
between MuteMath and Mat Kearney. Those familiar with the
former can trace members’ roots back to Earthsuit, though its
eclecticism and initiative boil over into an entirely new format via
the debut EP Reset (Word). Vocalist Paul Meany is one of today’s
most charismatic alternative front men, which, when coupled with
an array of keyboards and percussion, is truly a lethal combination.
Add in a series of electronic loops, pulsating programming plus laptop derived arrangements, and the group’s one of the most
innovative and experimental acts of the modern era.
Singer/songwriter Kearney is cut from the same ingenious cloth.
His freshman effort Bullet (Inpop) is known for its assorted
amalgamation of pop, acoustic rock and hip-hop. Originally signed
to Inpop, the breakthrough artist recently branched out his deal to
the mainstream via Aware/Columbia and is likely to remain an
unstoppable creative force. The tour promises top-notch talent and
is sure to tantalize every concertgoers’ sensory tentacles.
A N DY A R G Y R A K I S
It’s been said before, but we now have the numbers to
back it up: Southern gospel is the new alternative music.
Don’t believe it? According to concert tracker Pollstar,
Bill Gaither’s Homecoming tour sold more tickets in
2004 than Rod Stewart, Elton John and Fleetwood Mac.
In fact, Homecoming charted at #16 of all tours last year.
The tour even landed on Rolling Stone’s 2004 “Rock’s
Rich List.”
Gaither, 68, remarked, “At this stage of my life, I’m just
delighted to still be touring and included on a list with
such great talent!”
Speaking of southern gospel, The Crabb Family
continues to make surprising in-roads for a group reared
on “that old time gospel music.” Following its significant
showing in the CCM 2005 Readers’ Choice Awards, the
family also nabbed no fewer than eight nominations for
the 36th annual GMA Music Awards—including Group of
the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year (Jason Crabb) and
Song of the Year (“Through the Fire”).
Of course, none of this is a surprise to readers of
Homecoming Magazine. (Where have you been?)
C H R I S W E L L — E D I TO R , H O M E C O M I N G M AG A Z I N E
42 ccm april 05
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3/10/05
11:40 PM
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One look at 2005’s release schedule and
one thing is clear: If Christian artists have
anything to do with it, hymns will define
the next wave of modern worship. But,
that’s then, and this is now.
Top 10 Worship Songs
1) “Here I Am to Worship” by Tim Hughes
2) “Open the Eyes of My Heart”
by Paul Baloche
3) “Lord I Lift Your Name on High”
by Rick Founds
4) “Shout to the Lord” by Darlene Zschech
When it comes to gospel and R&B music, today’s hottest
names are Smokie Norful and Kierra “Kiki” Sheard. Just look
at what they’ve done recently. Norful’s Nothing Without You
(EMI Gospel) landed the 2005 Grammy Award for Best
Contemporary Soul Gospel Album, while the teenage Kiki
recently nabbed nominations from the GMA Music Awards,
the Soul Train Music Awards and the NAACP Image Awards.
“You can chase after success and recognition all you want,
but the truth is that unless God ordains it, it really doesn’t
matter,” says Norful, as if he isn’t polishing that Grammy
trophy this very second. “My goal has always been to see
people blessed by the music God gives me, and that’s
happened beyond anything I ever imagined.”
Of course, the Grammy wasn’t the first award for this
Arkansas-born sensation, whose debut disc, I Need You Now,
won three Stellar Awards on its way to making Norful
Billboard’s No. 1 Gospel Artist in 2003.
Coincidentally, Kiki’s Top 10 single “You Don’t Know”
produced by Rodney Jerkins (Destiny’s Child, Britney Spears)
was just recognized itself as Billboard’s 2004 R&B Gospel
Single of the Year. Though still not old enough to vote, Kiki
continues to ignite radio and win fans with countless urban
praise classics. Indeed, R&B Gospel is entering a new era,
and it’s one where these talents will finally get the acclaim
they rightfully deserve. D. J .
5) “Come Now is the Time to Worship”
by Brian Doerksen
6) “You Are My King” by Billy Foote
7) “Forever” by Chris Tomlin
8) “God of Wonders”
by Marc Byrd and Steve Hindalong
9) “You Are My All in All”
by Dennis Jernigan
10) “Breathe” by Marie Barnett
These are the top 10 songs sung in Sunday morning worship
services across the United States at press time, according to
CCLI, the official global reporting service for worship music.
For more information on CCLI, visit ccli.com.
! Worship Song:
“Here I Am to Worship” by Tim Hughes
It’s probably a good thing that worship leader
Tim Hughes didn’t go with his gut on whether
“Here I Am to Worship” would be a good
Sunday morning praise song because Hughes
frankly wasn’t impressed with his own work—
especially on an early rendition.
“I was playing some stuff on my guitar
when the verse came out,” Hughes modestly
recalls. “But I just couldn’t get a chorus that I
was happy signing off on. The original one
was so embarrassingly bad.”
While leading worship at his home church,
Soul Survivor in Watford, England, Hughes
sang a retooled version of “Here I Am to
Worship” for his pastor Mike Pilavachi, who
promptly told him he should start using the
song more often. Shortly after having that
pastoral encouragement, the song became
the title track for Hughes’ 2001 debut
Worship Together.
“I’d been reading about the cross and
thinking about Jesus’ amazing sacrifice and
how sometimes we don’t know how to
respond to that,” Hughes says. “It’s often too
much for us to comprehend. And in the song I
hope the chorus captures that feeling in a
small way.” C H R I S TA FA R R I S
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Pictured at a recent
ONE Campaign event,
with wristbands in tow,
are (L-R): Stephen
Mason (Jars of Clay),
Charlie Peacock, Matt
Odmark (JoC), Margaret
Becker, Dan Haseltine
(JoC), Charlie Lowell
(JoC), Peter Furler
(Newsboys) and
Michael W. Smith
Is your favorite artist an activist? Based on recent trends in Christian music, the
answer, most likely, is “Yes.” Whether they support a pro-life culture by advocating
adoption, encourage sexual purity via the True Love Waits campaign, draw attention
to persecuted Christians under oppressive governments, or call us to love convicts
through ministries like Prison Fellowship, today’s artists are making profound
differences in our world. Some are actual pioneers in educating the church about
important global, yet extremely personal issues. Consider Caedmon’s Call and its
activism to help the 250 million persecuted Dalits in India, or Natalie Grant and her
heroic efforts on behalf of young children forced into slave-based prostitution.
And today’s Christian artists aren’t just daring; they’re determined. Think about
the fact that for three years now, their biggest emphasis has been on the AIDS and
poverty emergency in Africa. There’s a reason for that. Can you imagine if a tsunami
of Indonesian proportions occurred every 6 weeks? That’s the sobering reality of the
drastic situation in Africa. Every month and a half, more than 200,000 people die
from HIV/AIDS on the world’s poorest continent.
This year you may have noticed some of your favorite artists wearing white
wristbands, the international symbol for the fight against poverty. In America this
movement is being spearheaded by The ONE Campaign, a coalition organized by
World Vision, Bono’s DATA organization, Bread for the World and others. The ONE
Campaign calls for “compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world
overcome AIDS and extreme poverty.” (To obtain your own white wristband and
discover ways you can help, visit ONE.org.) J.S.
If you had to think of just one book that’s exploded over the
past few years, there’s a good chance it has a purple cover.
Pastor Rick Warren’s The Purpose-Driven® Life, which hit 20
million copies and outsold mainstream blockbusters My Life
by Bill Clinton, The South Beach Diet and The DaVinci Code
combined, has become the best-selling hardback in U.S.
history. The reader-friendly 2002 book, which describes how
meaning in life comes through following God’s purposes, has
ignited a spiritual movement in countless communities around
the world. Despite its unapologetic gospel orientation, The
Purpose-Driven® Life has been embraced by the mainstream
culture and even reached #1 on the New York Times Hardcover
Advice list. Now, that’s a crossover.
44 ccm april 05
ccmmagazine.com
Among Christian artists, Blue Like Jazz (Nelson Books) by
Donald Miller is the other current, undisputed gem. Almost a
catchphrase in the creative community of late, this fresh and
practical tome is packed with accessible theology that reads
like a memoir. Why all the buzz? The book resonated with
almost everyone who read it, but especially those who wrestle
with the paradoxical nature of faith, the trouble with getting
spiritual needs met by organized religion and the desire to be
culturally relevant. It may well be that Donald Miller is the new
voice speaking to and for this generation. His recent work is
Searching For God Knows What (Nelson Books), and this
summer he will release Through Painted Deserts (Nelson
Books). A N D R E A B A I L E Y
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Everyone knows the download has
become the up-to-the-minute link between
Christian music and its listeners, and
since downloading turned a regulatory
corner, the practice emerged legit in
2004. Today every Christian music fan has
the hits at his/her fingertips. From
Mp3.com, you can now download these
Top 5 Songs of 2004 (according to
About.com which combines and averages
national charts from Billboard, R&R and
others.):
1. “Here With Me” - MercyMe
2. “Who Am I” - Casting Crowns
3. “Blessed Be Your Name” - Tree63
4. “Glory Defined” - Building 429
5. “Never Alone” - BarlowGirl
And for the Christian music junkie whose
cell phone is glued to the side of his head,
there is a new way to make a joyful noise.
Yes indeed, when your friends hit you up,
your phone can promptly proclaim the
latest Christian chart-topper. For a
minimal fee, Christian ringtones can be
downloaded off the Internet and sent to
your phone, or if your cell has Web access,
simply scroll and click.
Hottest Ringtones of 2004 (according to
JesusTones.com):
1. “Jesus Freak” - DC Talk
2. “History Maker” - Delirious
3. “Beautiful One” - Tim Hughes
4. “The Heart of Worship” - Matt Redman
5. “Majesty (Here I Am)” - Delirious
Hottest Ringtones Right Now:
1. “If We Are the Body” - Casting Crowns
2. “Stay” - Jeremy Camp
3. “Dare You to Move” - Switchfoot
4. “Wire” - Third Day
5. “This is My Life” – Salvador A . B .
For so many years, Christian artists have worked to “spill over” into
the mainstream, but these days the general market is spilling right
back. One need only look at country legend Randy Travis, the
consummate radio chart-topper who broke into the gospel market
with his Dove Award-winning Inspirational Journey (Word). The
singer/actor’s faith-filled music even inspired the two-part season
finale for CBS’ “Touched By An Angel,” which also starred Travis.
Another TV personality making the jump to gospel music is “The
West Wing” actress Kristin Chenoweth. “I grew up basically wanting
to ‘be’ Sandi Patty,” explains the Tony Award-winning actress,
whose new faith-based album is called As I Am (Sony/Integrity).
“Her records had an impact because she was not only a great
singer, but she had a great message. I wanted to make a record
that could influence Christian women of all ages.”
Still, there’s more to come. Backstreet Boys’ member Brian
Littrell recently signed with Reunion Records for his solo Christian
debut, set for a fall release, even as his group lights up pop radio
with their new single “Incomplete.” Littrell, who sold more than 55
million albums with the super-group, can be heard on WOW #1s
with his version of “In Christ Alone.” D. J .
Following President Bush’s secondterm win, the strength and zeal of
“evangelicals” was the big topic of
discussion among Democrats and
Republicans alike. And when you
look at the number of organizations,
congregations and, yes, artists who
got involved, it’s no wonder the
media paid so much attention. From
Point of Grace, The Katinas and
Steven Curtis Chapman on the
campaign trail to Michael W. Smith,
Nicole C. Mullen, Third Day and Jaci
Velasquez performing at the
Republican National Convention in
New York City, these Christian
artists and many others got quite a
bit of exposure to the general
public, thanks to Dubya.
For some artists, taking such a
public stance on politics might
seem a bit overboard, but for others
like Steven Curtis Chapman, it was
just a matter of expressing his
beliefs and support. “I respect
President Bush and the way he has
led our country through these
difficult times,” Chapman said of his
involvement with the campaign. “I
will never forget his strength in the
days immediately following 9/11. I
appreciate his commitment to his
faith and the depth of his
conviction, and he has my support.”
S T E P H A N I E OT TO S E N
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C
Ed Cash
photographed by
Jeremy Cowart
Take a look at today’s Christian music scene, and it
becomes clear that an especially versatile breed of
producer is emerging at the forefront. While the
magnificent veteran Brown Bannister (Amy Grant,
Steven Curtis Chapman) remains king of the hill, a
younger crop of helmsmen have been tapping into
their resources as innovative multi-instrumentalists.
46 ccm april 05
ccmmagazine.com
One such individual is the resourceful Ed Cash, who
also represents another growing trend among
producers—the “home studio dweller.” The Charlotte,
N.C. native entered the scene in the mid-’90s as an
independent artist before becoming Bebo Norman’s
producer of choice. From there he helmed recordings
by Caedmon’s Call, Wes King and Kathy Mattea, then
brought us 2004’s standout albums by Bethany
Dillon and Chris Tomlin.
“Anytime you mix art and commerce, the potential
for danger is just enormous,” says Cash. “To me the
great challenge is, in some sense, being a liaison
between the deepest art and trying to get records out
there. Rather than talking about ‘hit songs’ or ‘radio
songs,’ I love the word ‘connectivity.’ ‘How does this
song connect?’ There are a lot of ‘hit songs’ out there
that, to me, don’t connect—to the heart, anyway. I’m
just more and more drawn to those tunes that not
only have a catchiness and a hookiness, but a real
vibrancy and a life behind them.” J . S .
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MUTEMATH:
Artists, books, movies or trends that
some of your favorite artists think are !
tobyMac
Pink is still the new black
Classic Nikes are all that
King James is back
The original “Rat Pack”
plus Nat
Anything and everything
Mac
Red, gold, green and the
Jamaican flag
Indie coffee over Starbucks
There are the haps,
per tobyMac
Jim Bryson
MercyMe
1. Daniel Amos
(Horrendous Disc
album)...reliving my past
right now.
2. Macintosh computers
(is there really anything
else?)
3. NASCAR racing (also IRL,
F1, Champ cars)
4. Hangin’ with my son Riley
5. The movie National
Treasure (for now)
Ronnie Martin
Joy Electric
1. C.S. Lewis’ The Great
Divorce
2. Finding Neverland
3. SF59 Talking Voice VS.
Singing Voice
4. Hank Hanegraaff
5. R.C. Sproul
Barry Graul
Mercy Me
1. The Practice Of The
Presence Of God
(Brother Lawrence)
2. The Afters
3. Napoleon Dynamite
4. Switchfoot
5. Mac computers
Remember the excitement you felt the first time you
heard dc talk’s Jesus Freak or Jars of Clay’s stunning
debut? That’s exactly what it feels like to listen to the
electrifying, innovative sounds of MuteMath.
RELIENT K:
Mike Scheuchzer
Mercy Me
1. U2
2. Napoleon Dynamite...an
incredibly funny and
clean movie.
3. The Afters...the next big
thing in rock & roll
4. The Chronicles of Narnia
by C.S. Lewis...gotta get
ready for the movie.
5. Switchfoot
Just when you thought the band couldn’t possibly top
what it had already done, Mmhmm did just that. Now
these Ohio boys seem poised to become household
names the same way Switchfoot did in 2004.
TONEX:
Bethany Dillon
Like some mad inventor rock star, Tonéx continually
breaks the laws of time and space, fusing
imaginative lyrics with funk, guitar rock, hip-hop and
straight-up foot-stomping urban gospel music into a
fresh new genre all its own.
THE DAVID CROWDER BAND:
With its strong presence at the massive “Passion”
gatherings and progressive praise catalog, The David
Crowder Band has never been content to do worship
the same ol’ way. And the best is likely still yet
to come…
Robby Shaffer
MercyMe
1. Napoleon Dynamite
2. Jeremy Camp
3. Co-headline tours in
Christian Music
4. tobyMac
5. TV shows complete
seasons on DVD
SHAWN MCDONALD:
He’s got a fresh sound for Christian music circles, a
moving story of faith, and he’s totally new to the
“industry,” which only makes him more appealing.
MAT KEARNEY:
His killer music fuses a little of this and a little of
that—from rap to rock to hip-hop to pop—and he’s
poised to break into mainstream music right out of
the gate, thanks to a deal with Columbia.
BarlowGirl
1. C-28 CLOTHING
2. Day of Fire
3. The Passion
4. Modern Modesty
5. Sparkles chapstick and
girl rock
Shawn McDonald
THE CRABB FAMILY:
Expanding its musical reach beyond the confines of
southern gospel music, The Crabb Family keeps
breaking new ground, making fans in some of the
most surprising places.
BETHANY DILLON:
Danielle Kimmey
Out of Eden
Not since a young Amy Grant has the Christian
community seen such titanic teen talent in both
songwriting and performing.
1. Old hymns sung new
ways
2. Smokie Norful
3. Young people watching
TBN
4. Christian singers
becoming preachers
5. Cool Christian hangouts
and nightspots (i.e.
Rocketown in Nashville,
Example House in
Chicago, The Last Wave
in Orlando)
JOHN DAVIS:
He may be a “new artist” to the Christian music
world, but the dramatically-converted lead singer of
Superdrag may single-handedly—and inadvertently—
ignite a mass reconnection with 1970s “Jesus
Music.”
UNDEROATH:
This act’s latest album, They’re Only Chasing Safety,
has sold more than 140,000 copies. Um, did we
mention this is a Christian hardcore band?
Mat Kearney
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>>> Clockwise from left: Kirk Franklin, Kanye West, Korn co-founder Brian “Head” Welch and Daniel Bedingfield
?
why should the church
have all the good music?
When the “Jesus Music” movement of the late ’60s and ’70s grew into a bonafide industry by the
1980s, few could have imagined the current influx of artistic believers into mainstream music.
Yet, today, groups such as Switchfoot, MercyMe and many others are embodying the dreams of
Christian music’s pioneering artists. Who knew? By Mark Joseph
From Edwin Hawkins’ “Oh Happy Day,” to Amy
Grant’s “Find A Way,” from Jars of Clay’s “Flood”
and Bob Carlisle’s “Butterfly Kisses” to Kirk
Franklin’s “Lean on Me,” for years now artistic
Christians have occasionally appeared on the
nation’s pop music charts with songs that, to
varying degrees, reflected their beliefs.
But what was once a trickle has become a
steady stream over the past three years, as
numerous artists who profess faith in Christ and
Christian-flavored songs have been consistently
emerging on the pop music scene. Many artists
heretofore only known to Christian music fans
such as Switchfoot, Skillet, Smokie Norful,
Stacie Orrico, Pillar, MercyMe, Thousand Foot
Krutch, Natalie Grant and Daniel Bedingfield
suddenly appeared on the mainstream charts,
while others like Evanescence, Kanye West,
Mindy Smith, Lifehouse and Dana Glover went
straight to mainstream labels. And then there was
the equally fascinating prospect of watching
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musicians who had been popular in the
mainstream experience conversions and
completely change their artistic perspective.
Among these were Dave Mustaine of Megadeth,
rapper Mase and, most recently, Korn cofounder Brian “Head” Welch.
By mid-2004, amid Switchfoot’s challenging
“Meant to Live,” MercyMe’s blatant “I Can Only
Imagine” and Kanye West’s unflinching “Jesus
Walks,” it seemed the dreams of those artists who
had begun performing “Jesus Music” in the late
1960’s and early ‘70s were finally coming true:
Christians were making music about their faith in
God and finding an audience for it among
Christians and non-Christians alike.
>>> That 70s Show
In the 1970’s the hotbed of the Jesus Movement
was a Southern California church called Calvary
Chapel. The church produced Saturday night
concerts that featured up-and-coming “Jesus
Music” musicians, created a record label called
Maranatha! Music and even had a bustling
bookstore where the music from this emerging
group could be purchased. Dozens of bands
emerged from the movement with names such as
Love Song, Sweet Comfort Band, Mustard
Seed Faith, The Way and Parable.
The church’s concerts were intentional,
evangelistic events, and these artists had high
hopes that their music would be heard by
unbelievers. Furthermore, they intended to be
proactive, taking their music beyond the confines
of the church itself. While this was in many ways
new territory for rock artists of faith, Christians
in other genres had been steadily making
significant in-roads.
Consider the legendary Statesmen Quartet
and the Blackwood Brothers. These two
southern gospel groups regularly made forays
onto high-profile television programs during the
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‘50s and ‘60s, even starting their own nationally
televised shows at one point. In addition, the
Statesmen Quartet anchored multiple motion
picture soundtracks. And then there was
Johnny Cash. The maverick Christian not only
incorporated hymns and gospel songs into his
regular repertoire, but he went so far as to
openly discuss his faith on his own network
television program, “The Johnny Cash Show,”
which aired for three seasons on CBS
beginning in 1969.
But Calvary Chapel wasn’t sponsoring
southern gospel giants or the king of country
music; it was helping introduce “Jesus rock &
roll.” This was the 1970s, and Jesus and rock
didn’t mix—at least, not as far as most
gatekeepers in the American church and in
entertainment were concerned.
One of the artists hoping to take songs of
faith into mainstream rock was the band Love
Song, led by popular musician Tommy
Coomes. “The minute the members of Love
Song were awakened by the truth of the
gospel, we knew we had to make an album to
tell our generation,” Coomes remembered. “We
were artists and songwriters–that was our skill
and trade. It was natural to continue in but now
with new meaning and focus. Maranatha! was
an upstart label out of our church and did not
have the funds to make the kind of album we
envisioned, nor did it have the mechanisms to
get it out.”
If Calvary Chapel wasn’t equipped to help
artists such as Coomes and Love Song fulfill
their mission, neither were its mainstream
counterparts, leaving Coomes and hundreds of
other Jesus Music era musicians in a bind.
“There was no contemporary Christian
music industry in 1970. The only kind of
gospel music we could find was either southern
gospel or black gospel,” he recalled. “We
instinctively knew that we had to find another
path. We spent the first two years doing
concerts, writing songs and learning more
about the Bible. We did showcases for
Columbia and Atlantic records and finally
signed a deal with a new label that had funding
and distribution with United Artists Records.
The mainstream media was hip to spiritual
themes and looking for artists who were
compelling. The frustrating thing was that they
didn’t know how to promote the music. It was
too close to the culture for religious radio and
too gospel for regular radio.”
In the words of the late Mark Heard, one of
Christian music’s prophetic voices: “We were
too saved for the sinners, and the saved didn’t
want us around.”
>>> The Butlers Did It
Parable, an early Jesus music favorite led by a
talented musician named Chuck Butler,
released its debut album in 1977 on Maranatha!
Music with dreams of affecting rock fans with
its faith. But the label, like most other fledgling
Christian record companies, was simply not
equipped to take the artists on its roster out
into the mainstream music world. Functionally,
it was music by the church made for the
church. Butler’s dreams of reaching out into the
world of rock with his music on the same level
as the Eagles or Led Zeppelin died as his band
faded from the scene.
Or did they?
Nearly three decades later another Butler,
Chuck’s son Chad, better known as the
drummer of a dynamic rock band named
Switchfoot, hit the top 5 of both the alternative
and pop radio airplay charts with a song called
“Meant to Live.” As the group approached rock
star status, Chad’s bandmate bassist Tim
Foreman offered perhaps the most succinct
quote of the last 30 years to clearly represent
believers who intentionally create music for the
world at large:
“We are Christian by faith, not genre,” he
first noted in a 2003 interview with Rolling Stone.
Of course, during the last three decades,
others have attempted to say the same thing,
but the words never rolled off the tongues of
these artists as smoothly as they did Foreman’s.
Take, for example, B.J. Thomas’ tortured
attempts to say he was an entertainer who
happened to be a Christian and not a Christian
entertainer, Creed’s denials that it was a
“Christian band,” even though it filled its songs
with tributes to the only Deity who had ever
claimed that His yoke was easy and His burden
light, U2’s endless attempts to explain what
they didn’t believe instead of what they did
believe and Evanescence’s plea to be removed
from Christian-owned bookstores. Artist after
artist awkwardly—and often embarrassingly—
struggled in their attempts to be in the world
but not of it.
There is little disagreement that for years,
mainstream music was not very hospitable to
musicians who wanted to sing about religious
or spiritual ideas that were orthodox in nature.
But by the turn of the century, in the aftermath
of numerous artists such as Stryper, King’s X
and Jars of Clay chipping away at the wall that
seemed to keep God’s more outspoken
followers out of rock music, the wall seemed to
be slowly coming down. There was Michael
W. Smith’s “Place In This World,” Kathy
Troccoli’s “Everything Changes,” Newsong’s
“The Christmas Shoes,” Bob Carlisle’s
“Butterfly Kisses,” P.O.D.’s “Alive” and, of
course, the song that many credit with finally
knocking the wall down, MercyMe’s “I Can
Only Imagine.”
That “I Can Only Imagine” tipped the
scale is a historical event riddled with irony.
Not only are the song’s lyrics so unmistakably
“Christian,” but the band wasn’t even
pondering the mainstream market when it was
recorded.
“We never saw it coming!” emphasized
lead singer Bart Millard, whose band is now
enjoying its third major pop radio hit. “All logic
>>> From top: Johnny Cash, Jars of Clay, Skillet,
Michael W. Smith
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>>> Clockwise from left: Steven Curtis Chapman, P.O.D, Love Song and Switchfoot
says that a song like ‘Imagine’ should have never
seen the light of day on mainstream radio.
Having one song played on mainstream blew our
minds, but to have ‘Here With Me’ and now
‘Homesick’ played as well, we simply cannot
explain. We hope that more artists who wear
their faith on their sleeves are given this same
opportunity. God opened a door that we never
thought to knock on.”
“Imagine” and other songs showed the dream
was indeed possible, and by the time Switchfoot
prepared 2003’s The Beautiful Letdown, the
mainstream music business was open, as never
before, to a band with a clear spiritual vision who
knew how to express it with care to a waiting and
watching world. Driven by two major radio
hits—the second being “Dare You to Move”—The
Beautiful Letdown took less than two years to
surpass the 2 million sold mark.
>>> Stacking the Deck
Mainstream gatekeepers weren’t the only ones
who delayed the recent emergence of Christians
in the world of rock. For decades, believers had
all too often circulated stories among themselves
about how difficult—indeed how impossible—it
was to make an impact in the cultural mainstream.
“Certain spiritual concepts can’t cross over,”
one influential Christian rock pioneer had said.
“Talk about God, talk about love—no problem.
Talk about Jesus, his death, sin… Those concepts
are very offensive. The cross is still a stumbling
block. The mainstream rejects music that is
straightforwardly Christian.”
The problem with this attitude was that such
declarations assumed a static situation and didn’t
take into account the “X” factor—that as more
and more Christians got involved in the
mainstream culture at every level, such moves
would pave a path for themes which would have
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once been anathema. Such warnings also had the
effect of frightening away those who sought
mainstream impact and became a sort of selffulfilling prophecy. As more young Christians
came to believe such statements, they were
discouraged from entering occupations where
their influence could be felt—radio programmers,
deejays, music critics, music executives—and
where they could actually play a role in ensuring
that such themes made it to the mainstream.
>>> Rapturing Lambs
During the 1970s many Christian denominations, including the principal movements that
helped establish contemporary Christian music,
were convinced that Christ’s return would take
place within a matter of months at any given
time. Naturally, the notion of the imminent
return of Jesus Christ to rapture His church didn’t
exactly create an environment in which young
Christians were encouraged to go into cultureshaping careers: broadcasting, journalism, the
music business or other vocations where their
impact would be felt not within months, but
decades.
In addition to a rapture theology which
frowned on higher education and careers that
would require planning and foresight, this
popular movement of the 1970’s all too often
encouraged a separatism from the world. This did
not result in masses of believers entering
mainstream venues from which to affect the
larger culture. Thus, when rock stars converted to
Christianity, they were often encouraged to leave
their careers at mainstream record companies and
record for Christian labels.
“We had just left Egypt, and we didn’t want to
go back,” remembered Mike Macintosh, one of
Maranatha!’s executives. “A prime example of this
was when Leon Patillo, the lead singer of
Santana, left the group and began recording solo
albums for the label.”
>>> The Turning
The theology of separation that profoundly
manifested itself during contemporary Christian
music’s foundational years has been modified by
the current crop of artists who appear to reject
the notion that physical separation from the
world leads to holiness. Rather, a theology of
spiritual separation while being physically
integrated has taken hold, which has allowed
artists such as Jars of Clay to tour with
mainstream artists, Steven Curtis Chapman to
appear on “The Howard Stern Show” or P.O.D.
to regularly take up residence on MTV.
Another factor that cannot be overlooked is a
greater openness to Christian ideas on the part of
many mainstream media gatekeepers. Part of this
is the result of Christians themselves joining
mainstream institutions where they have affected
change.
Michael W. Smith’s top five smash hit song
“Place In This World,” for instance, came about
because a young Christian named Claire Parr
(nee West) happened to be working at radio
promotions at Geffen Records and insisted on
working the single to pop radio on her off hours.
Other Christians have gone to work at MTV,
VH1, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, The Chicago
Tribune and dozens of other mainstream
institutions and have created more accessibility
for these artists through their mere presence
there.
Key philosophical changes are also taking
place in the Christian marketplace. The Gospel
Music Association, for instance, made an
important change in the group’s mission
statement. What had traditionally been a
declaration that affirmed the group’s goal as
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advancing gospel music, the GMA enlarged to
say that the group’s goal was now to advance
the Gospel in every genre of music—a
significant shift that reflected the growing
desire of many artists to be identified as
Christians who worked in jazz, pop, rock or
R&B, instead of “Christian music artists.”
The Christian music industry, meanwhile,
has helped to galvanize and organize a group of
artists and fans who may not otherwise have
found each other and enabled dozens of artists
to hone their craft and prepare to be salt and
light in the culture at large.
”Some good things have happened along the
way,” noted Love Song’s Coomes. “Michael
Omartian, Seawind, Amy Grant, Michael W.
Smith, Steve Taylor, Steven Curtis Chapman,
Steve Green, Dann Huff and Tommy Sims
paved a path. Many more opportunities are
available today because of artists who’ve
followed their hearts. I rejoice at the success of
MercyMe, Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Switchfoot and Jars of Clay. They’re courageous and
confident and have made great records that
have connected with millions of listeners.
Those who are culturally relevant may always
be suspect to some folks, but who did Jesus
hang out with?”
>>> Brave New World
The movement of Christians into the cultural
mainstream has been slow and steady, with
fitful starts and stops; but with a multi-pronged
approach, it is attaining significant ground.
Between Christians who made their way into
mainstream music (Jason Wade of Lifehouse,
Scott Stapp of Creed, P.O.D.), artists who have
converted to Christianity after achieving fame
(Alice Cooper, Dave Mustaine, Lauryn Hill), to
those who got their start in the Christian
market and made their way across the cultural
divide (Switchfoot, Chevelle, Relient K,
MercyMe, Skillet, Sixpence None The Richer),
the American mainstream music scene is today
home to hundreds of artists who are writing
and performing songs with a distinctly
Christian world view.
But these artists stand on the shoulders of
their forefathers—literally in cases such as the
Butler family—a generation of artists whose
purpose in creating “Jesus Music” was to have
that music heard by a generation of unbelievers
and provide hope and transformation. And
today, older and wiser, they have advice to give
to their musical offspring:
“It seems like we need to rethink many
things,” said Coomes who has recently started
a non-profit company to mentor artists called
Music Compass. “It’s time to ask the 5 ‘W’
questions: who, what, where, when and why?
We’ve accomplished a lot over the last 35 years;
but, as my friend Reggie McNeal says in his
book, The Present Future, ‘We need to get outside
the bubble.’”
Many artists are doing just that. And like
Moses who himself never made it to the
promised land but was at least given a glimpse
of Canaan from a distance, today some of these
Jesus Music era artists look on with satisfaction
as their children and children’s children take
their music and beliefs to all, for all to hear. CCM
Church Celebration
>>> From top: Tommy Sims, Sixpence None the Richer,
Alice Cooper, Lauryn Hill
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Artists of faith in the mainstream may generate
that “wow” factor that’s something special, but
Christian music’s blue-chip artists remain those
who serve, primarily, church audiences day in,
day out—Point of Grace, Nicole C. Mullen,
Avalon, Selah and FFH come to mind. They’re
to this genre what General Electric and CocaCola are to Wall Street—symbols of quality,
sound investments paying dividends no matter
which way the wind blows. And if last year’s
Dove Awards were any sort of tipping point, a
new crop of blue chip names may be emerging.
Making huge gains is Atlanta’s Casting
Crowns. The Dove-nominated, seven-piece
outfit packs churches coast to coast. It touts a
platinum record, three No. 1 singles, a
platinum DVD—plus 3 CCM’s Readers’ Choice
Awards in major categories, to name a few.
“Our passion is to see the body of Christ
both walk with God and use the gifts He’s
given them to bring glory to Him,” says
Casting Crowns lead singer Mark Hall when
asked about being called to “build up the
saints.” “Our ministry is no more noble or
spiritual than anyone else’s. We glorify Him
when we bloom where we’re planted.”
And Jeremy Camp’s high-stakes decisionmaking appears to be paying off. Though he
accumulated six No. 1 singles with his rock
debut, Stay, Camp chanced a career identity
crisis by following up with Carried Me: The
Worship Project. Image czars cringed; the church
cried hallelujah. Insiders are whispering
Jeremy—both a Dove Award-winning “New
Artist of the Year” and “Male Vocalist of the
Year”—is as versatile as one Michael W. Smith.
Still cultivating its initial public offering is
BarlowGirl. The band’s self-titled debut has
traded hotly over the past year, spinning off the
breakout single “Never Alone.” This month it
hopes to make good on at least one of four
Dove nominations—all while being an all-girl
band, the rarest of species in Christian music.
Give ‘em all an “Amen.”
G R E G O RY RU M B U R G
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Jim Van Hook
Terry Hemmings
PRESIDENTIAL
In the business of selling Christian music, there has been—almost since the beginning—the trinity:
three major companies and their respectively owned and distributed labels that have shared this market
for many years. Though now wholly owned by major music and entertainment conglomerates, each
is still managed by veterans of this business whose careers began with independently owned and
operated labels.
Bill Hearn was formerly the president of Sparrow Records prior to being named president and CEO
of EMI Christian Music Group, a division of EMI Recorded Music North America. His father, Billy Ray
Hearn, who founded Sparrow, continues to function as chairman of the group. A 27-year industry
veteran, Bill oversees management of EMI CMG Label Group, EMI CMG Distribution and EMI CMG
Publishing. He also serves on the board of The Sparrow Foundation and TJ Martell Foundation.
Jim Van Hook is currently CEO at Word Entertainment, the industry’s oldest label that was started
in 1951 as Word Records. Van Hook was a music professor at Nashville’s Trevecca Nazarene University
for six years before starting his own company, Brentwood Music, with $500 in 1981. The company was
sold to Zomba Music Group in 1994 and had become an $85 million business when he officially retired
in 2003. In a unique arrangement with Word (owned by the Warner Music Group), Van Hook
concurrently maintains his role as dean of the Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at
Belmont University in Nashville.
Terry Hemmings, who spent a decade with Reunion Records, now serves as president and CEO of the
Provident Music Group, which includes labels as diverse as the benchmark Benson, Brentwood, Reunion
and Essential and recently acquired distribution rights to Integrity Music. Provident is now a division of
Sony BMG Music Entertainment, operating under the umbrella of RCA Label Group Nashville.
These are the men who steer the present and shape the future of the Christian music business on a
day-to-day basis.We believe you will find it fascinating to get a deeper insight into their world, hear
their reflections on the buying trends of 2004 and catch a glimpse of their future goals and plans.
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CCM: It was an interesting year for Christian
music, wasn’t it? Though overall sales of
Christian and gospel music were almost
identical to 2003 (43.4 million units in ’04
compared to 43.7 million in ’03), sales of rock
titles more than doubled. Is rock selling better
because of general market exposure and
availability, or has the church finally just gotten
comfortable with more aggressive musical
styles?
Jim Van Hook: I think it’s both. I think praise
& worship has sort of loosened up the church a
bit to accept a wider variety of styles than in
years past. Look at an artist like BarlowGirl
whose debut album has sold more than 200,000
units and is what we would have always
classified a rock record but is now really in the
center of the market.
Terry Hemmings: There has always been an
audience for rock, and the roots of this business
were in rock; but we kind of got away from it in
the ‘80s and early ‘90s. Over the last decade,
people like Brandon [Ebel, founder of Tooth &
Nail], in particular, have really done an
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Bill Hearn
BRIEFING
incredible job of developing a market again for
rock. Once that happens, and tools like Internet
sites and the like develop around that,
expectation develops in the consumer; and they
start looking for it. Combine that with a greater
access to the products, and you have a formula to
reach those people who were always there for
rock music.
Bill Hearn: I think a lot of those sales came from
labels like Tooth & Nail, which sell a lot of
product in the general marketplace. In the case of
Jeremy Camp, in particular, almost 50 percent of
his sales are coming from the general market.
TH: We exceeded our general market sales last
year by 35 percent, and that was without any
support at mainstream radio for any of our
records. It’s really just due to a focused effort on
retail, in general, as 50-60 percent of our sales
now are coming from mainstream retail outlets
like Target, Wal-Mart, etc. We actually consider
those to be Christian retail outlets for us in that
they are sold as clearly Christian records racked
BY THOM GRANGER
in the Christian or gospel music section of their
music departments.
This is not the same situation as Switchfoot,
for example, that is being marketed as a pop act
and racked that way in the mainstream. We really
try to define these things by the artist’s intent.
Casting Crowns has no desire to be anything but
a Christian band, yet its records sold very well in
those outlets. We went platinum on that record in
15 months. It’s extraordinary.
BH: What’s happening is that mainstream
retailers are finally realizing that Christians are
shopping in their stores, too, and that it’s OK to
put Christian artists on their samplers, end-cap
displays or promotional items because a large part
of their consumer profile is made up of faithbased individuals.
The real story about 2004 is that, since 2000,
Christian music sales have been flat because in
that same four-year period, sales of all music in
the United States were down 15 percent. So
during a very difficult economic period in the
music business, Christian music held its own. So,
in reality, we gained market share during that
period because we went from about 5.5 percent of
the overall music market to about 6.5 percent by
maintaining flat sales.
The question is what do we do to grow sales?
That’s where I think you will see the industry
becoming more creative, addressing the needs of
the church more with worship music—which I’ve
kind of termed the Christian pop music of the
new millennium—and with the new stream of
artists who are choosing to position themselves as
mainstream artists as opposed to a crossover
Christian music artist.
CCM: Speaking of new artists, another trend
seems to be that the AC/pop that defined
contemporary Christian music for so long
appears to be falling out of favor with the fans.
Several historically top-selling AC/pop artists
who released projects in 2004 sold far less than
each did just a few years ago. Is this also a result
of rock’s increasing popularity, or are Christian
music fans just ready for some new faces?
TH: I think it’s a function of a couple of things. I
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think the market turns over every so often, and
there will always be a hunger for new artists in
pop music. I think our opportunity with “new” is
greater than it has been at any time that I can
remember because radio is responding to newer
artists much quicker than they have in the past and
responding to a hotter AC sound more than in the
past as well. We will probably release more records
from new artists this year than ever before.
JVH: I think it all gets back to the songs. So many
records try to cover up an average song with great
production, and it just never works. A great song
has to have heart and meaning, be reflective of its
culture, expressed by a poet and recorded by
musicians who adequately carry that expression
through the art of music to a listener who hears it
and responds, “Yes! That’s how I feel.” Other
things have value but none are as important as the
core, which is the song. Make great songs and
chances are, money and product are going to tend
to change hands.
CCM: Money and product continue to change
hands for Christian music but in new and different
ways all the time, of course. Have any of these
“new wineskins” caused you to rethink how much
CD’s cost and what buyers pay for them?
JVH: Pricing pressure is tremendous now, as the
perception today (because of downloads) is that a
song is worth 99 cents. Multiply that times 10 or
12, and you have a price point far below the 17 or
18 dollars that has been the standard for years.
We’re going to hold up the price point as much as
we can but not more than the market will allow.
Frankly, the relationship between the record
company and the artist has to change now as well.
We can’t spend the kind of money on masters that
we used to, or marketing, for that matter.
TH: We have a 60-day introductory price on new
artists, which has been fairly effective, but after 60
days we move to full price with little downside.
Casting Crowns has been at full price for a year
now and is still selling well.
JVH: I fully believe CDs are going away as the
primary delivery system of content. I don’t know
when, but I believe it will happen; and therefore,
there have to be multiple revenue streams at a
company like Word, and the relationship with the
artist has to be redefined. I still think there is a
place for this type of company because most artists
cannot become totally viable by themselves. But
the way to help them succeed is changing.
CCM: Let’s talk about digital media, downloads
and the like. What are your thoughts about the
area of the business currently, and what are you
doing at your companies to take advantage of
these new markets?
BH: We have come to see that Christian music
consumers are just as wired as any other music
consumer and are consuming digital music at or
slightly above the rate of mainstream music
consumers.
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We have been very aggressive in providing
content to the digital service providers. As of this
spring, we have over 1,000 full albums available
on the DSPs, which means over 10,000 songs, all
of our new releases and about 80 percent of our
back catalog available digitally. Individual songs
are running at about 80 percent of our total digital
downloads and full albums the other 20 percent.
We have about 60 ringtones available now and
will have over 300 available by June. The
prediction is that, while digital music will
continue to grow exponentially, mobile music—
ringtones, voice tones and images to cell
phones—could surpass digital downloads in the
next few years.
TH: We have increased our alternative marketing
staff to four, and those people communicate with
their parent company counterparts on a daily
basis about new opportunities and the like.
Sony/BMG is the worldwide leader in the digital
realm right now, and that includes ring tones,
wallpaper, ringbacks as well as downloads. Ring
tones for Casting Crowns are running about equal
to their business in downloads right now, for
“
I LOVE CHANGE; I LOVE A
CHALLENGE, AND THIS HAS
BEEN A TREMENDOUS
CHALLENGE, TO THINK OF
US AS A MUSIC COMPANY AS
OPPOSED TO A RECORD
COMPANY THAT ONLY
PRODUCES PLASTIC DISCS.
-BILL HEARN
“
example. Now we’re finding a demand for artists
recording personalized messages for personal
voice mail, and I think that fits well with the
Christian music lifestyle.
JVH: This is a huge priority for me. We know
now that more than 10 million iPods have been
sold; five million of those were sold just last
quarter. And that does not include the new iPod
Shuffles. I haven’t yet talked to a single individual
who owns an iPod and doesn’t completely love it.
But the majority of sales in downloads is in
individual songs, and we have to look at that very
closely and come up with a new strategy to better
accommodate a new type of buyer. Instead of
looking for 10-12 songs to take into the studio
with an artist, maybe we just record the two or
three that really knocked our socks off and
sell those when they’re ready, as opposed to an
entire album. I don’t think we’re at that point
today, but I think we have to be open to new
approaches like that.
BH: The bottom line is, while digital music is an
important part of the future of the music industry,
it is still only two percent of our total music sales,
though our sales through digital increased five
times from ‘03-’04. So even though we expect to
see exponential growth in digital music, we don’t
anticipate it being more than 20 percent of our
business in the next 5-8 years.
What is wonderful about all of this is that
consumption of music is at an all-time high. If you
combine sales of physical CDs and digital
downloads, music surpassed 800 million units in
2004, which is the first time it has been that high
since 2000.
CCM: What is your greatest challenge now, and
what motivates you to face it on a daily basis?
JVH: As a survivor of leukemia [Van Hook was on
interferon treatments for over three years and has
been declared cured for more than 2 1/2 years
now], every day is a blessing and a gift for me.
As far as challenges go, obviously, Word knew
it was losing Integrity Music months before its
contract officially expired at the end of 2000. And
as of Jan. 1, Word’s market share dropped from
28 percent to 14.8 percent, so I came in with a
full crisis in effect. The four things that I am
focusing on are getting the right people in key
leadership roles, managing the managers,
changing the business model to address the
changing landscape in the music business and
changing the corporate culture.
BH: The greatest challenge for us at the labels is
to make the paradigm shift from thinking that the
consumer relationship is the responsibility of the
retailer, to one that desires to understand their
needs and wants to better guide our marketing
and A&R to provide music that is more relevant to
them, making it available in ways that are more in
line with their lifestyle.
I love change; I love a challenge, and this has
been a tremendous challenge, to think of us as a
music company as opposed to a record company
that only produces plastic discs. There are no
rules anymore, and that makes it exciting for
people like me to be a part of changing things at
this time. I’m just glad it happened at a time when
I was young enough to cope with it!
TH: I absolutely love music; and when I get up in
the morning, I can’t wait to listen to it. If one is
not motivated by that love, I would imagine it
would be a pretty dry experience.
We have the opportunities to do incredible
things with our parent companies, but that also
requires us to think in new ways; and the
businessman in me loves that as well. We’ve got
the biggest platform to take the gospel to people
through music that we’ve ever had, and our
challenge is to find the very best talent and make
the very best music we can so that we have
something to offer. Trying to break new artists is
a daunting task; but when you find something that
you can’t stand the thought of people not
knowing about, it’s very motivating to go the extra
mile to try and make it happen.
3/11/05
12:18 AM
Page 57
* POP QUIZ
1. If you could sign any artist in the world
to your label, which one would it be?
Jim Van Hook: The Beatles
Bill Hearn: U2
Terry Hemmings: Sarah McLachlan
2. Of all the recent infiltrations of
Christians/Christianity into mainstream culture, which one (outside of
music!) is most intriguing to you?
Van Hook: George W. Bush
Hearn: Ministries focused on professional
athletes and sports celebrities. Their ability
to have an impact on the culture as role
models is significant, and I am seeing more of
that in the last few years.
Hemmings: There are some television
programs that have a positive impact and
remain viable programming. “Seventh
Heaven” is a good example.
3. Which one in music?
Van Hook: U2/Bono
Hearn: Great music created by Christians.
Music from Christians is having more of an
impact on mainstream culture than ever.
Hemmings: I am watching The Afters.
4. Name your top three “Desert Island”
discs.
Van Hook: The Carpenters, Henry Mancini,
Collection of Hits of The Bee Gees, Louis
Armstrong. (However, I would would prefer
an iPod with my favorites included.)
Hearn: My iPod with a long-lasting battery.
Hemmings: Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the
Moon, Dire Straits’ Love Over Gold and Rich
Mullins’ A Liturgy, A Legacy and a
GENTLEMEN,
TAKE OUT A SHEET OF
PAPER AND NUMBER FROM 1 TO 11...
Hemmings: I consider the most important
thing to be the number of people who have
worked for us that are in leadership positions
in this or other industries and companies. I
believe one of the most important aspects of
this job is to provide a platform for others to
grow and succeed.
8. What is your most embarrassing
industry moment?
Van Hook: Passing on Sandi Patty in 1979
Hearn: Why would I tell you that? I’d have to
relive it all over again.
Hemmings: Ironically, it just happened
yesterday. I was meeting with a new band
and asked one of the guys if he was related to
another. They were sitting at opposite ends
of the table, and I had not taken a hard look.
Turns out they are identical twins.
9. What word or phrase do you most
overuse?
Hearn: “I was listening to you, honey!”
Hemmings: “Did we sell any records?”
Sometimes good news is just good news, even
if it does not produce an immediate result.
10. a. Hard music or southern gospel?
Van Hook: Neither
Hearn: I am a pop music fan. Give me a great
song any day!
Hemmings: Hard music
b. Napoleon Dynamite or Ferris Bueller?
Van Hook: Neither, but my friends tell me it
would be Ferris Bueller.
Hearn: Ferris Bueller
Hemmings: Ferris Bueller, my life story
Ragamuffin Band
5. Who do you think is today’s most overhyped mainstream artist?
Van Hook: Britney Spears
Hearn: Any finalist from “American Idol”
6. What’s your usual at Starbucks?
Van Hook: A latte
Hearn: I try not to drink coffee.
Hemmings: I prefer Peet’s. I order it online.
7. What do you consider your greatest
accomplishment in this industry?
Van Hook: Starting with $500 and building
the company [Provident] into one of the “big
three”
Hearn: Supporting great artists in achieving
their vision
c. Simon, Paula, or Randy?
Van Hook: Randy
Hearn: I don’t watch “American Idol.”
Hemmings: Peter, Paul and Mary (Actually, I
have the most respect for Simon. He is direct,
but most often correct.)
11. Presidential Picks: Who would you
like to see face off in the 2008 election?
Van Hook: Rudy Giuliani vs. [Tennessee’s]
Governor Bredeson
Hearn: The two or three people who believe
in God, with the greatest character and
integrity and who have the best interests of
this country and our way of life as their
platform.
Hemmings: Arnie and Hillary—too bad it
can’t happen.
CCM
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4
12 9 8
17
7 101814 13
19 11 16
15
*
FUTURAMA:
1 235
20
arched” musings.
A compendium of arguably useless and “rese
6
ama
-R
-O
st
Li
M
C
C
S
U
IO
IC
IL
R
P
A
l’s
el
Chris W
5 Things About Christian Music
That Will Definitely Happen in the
Next 10 to 12 Months (15 months, tops)
Every April, the think tank at CCM Magazine looks ahead to the important
trends in what we now call “Contemporary Christian Music.” It’s an annual
tradition as old as crackers and as timeless as your local boat show.
Tapping the experts here at CCM Industries, our researchers have come up
with this list. (Be sure to clip this page out and save it for future reference.)
1.
GENRE
Speedgrass. Members of Relient K studying under
4.
FASHION
More felt. Watch for big fashion spread from
master banjo player even now.
members of Avalon.
5.
TREND
Eventually, all labels will merge into one, single,
über imprint. End of artist development as we
know it.
2.
TECHNOLOGY
Apple introduces the iHat. Sponsors big BarlowGirl
spring tour.
5 APRIL FOOLS PRANKS
1. The one where you put the bucket of Elmer’s
Glue over the door and then when someone comes
in, the bucket falls on his/her head. Oh—and
feathers. Gotta have feathers.
2. The one where you go online to your favorite
artist’s message board and start a rumor about
him/her doing a concert in your backyard for
everyone who brings food. Sure, you made the
whole thing up, but hey! Free food!
3.
MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS
In 2005, the MPAA will require every motion picture
soundtrack to include at least one Christian label
artist. Every. Single. One.
3. The one where you staple your sleeve to the
door of your office and tell everyone who passes by,
“Oh, look, my sleeve is stapled to the door.” It’s
funnier than it sounds.
4. The one where you hit the “page” button on
your office phone and then page yourself. Bucket o’
laughs.
5. The one where you wear your heaviest coat and
stuff the pockets with frozen meat. As the day goes
on and the meat in your pockets thaws, enjoy the
puzzled looks of your co-workers. Or school chums.
Or dogs.
58 ccm april 05
ccmmagazine.com
5 Signs GMA Week
Has Arrived
B
1. Big banner “Welcome to Music City, USA”
switched to “The House That Amy, Michael and
Steven Built.”
2. One in three people in downtown Nashville has
a Christian record deal.
3. Rickshaw service sponsored by Third Day and
the good people of Chevrolet.
4. Members of your favorite classic Christian rock
band reunite to serve fajitas.
5. Jimi Hendrix memorabilia at Hard Rock Café
replaced by laundry belonging to Jay Swarz...Jay
Swartzen...by laundry belonging to the guy who
edits CCM.
CCM_04.05_Listening.v8
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Page 60
listening in...
Rebecca St. James
& Evie Tornquist
When Rebecca St. James had the honor of inducting her
mentor, Christian music’s first bonafide star Evie
Tornquist, into the Gospel Music Association Hall of
Fame this past February, it made for an unforgettable
and extremely personal evening. Since Rebecca asked
Evie to be her mentor almost three years ago, these two
women have stayed closely connected, resulting in a
bond that far surpasses their obvious commonality:
music. On the heels of the Hall of Fame event, CCM had
the chance to listen in on a phone conversation
between these two distinct generations of Christian
artists: Evie, a Norwegian singer who laid the
groundwork for contemporary Christian music in the
1970s and ’80s, and Rebecca, a beloved vocalist whose
11-year career continues to flourish with modern
pop/rock sensibilities and uplifting lyrics.
RSJ: Many people are aware, Evie, that
you are my mentor. It’s a huge honor
for me to tell everyone how much
you’ve meant in my life and how God
has used you to breathe life into me
and into my ministry. It’s totally been a
God thing!
Evie: It’s been a two-way blessing, Bec!
I was very humbled and honored that
you would think that much of me--that
I would have something I could share
with you. But then, I understand
mentoring to be just another fancy
word for discipling. Another way of
describing it would be “journeying
together” in this walk with Jesus. Now
that doesn’t sound all that difficult to
me. It sounds like something that’s
very natural, and I am all for being
natural with other people, with friends
and with the Lord.
60 ccm april 05
ccmmagazine.com
When you approached me [to be
your mentor], I of course went to prayer
right away. One thing I did understand:
When you connect with a friend or
someone, like you and I have hooked
up in the relationship of being a friend
and discipling one another—because
you do that for me too—there’s an
understanding that this is a long-term
commitment. This just isn’t a week or
two. We’re in it for the long run.
RSJ: We are! One of the biggest things
that has had an impact on me is just
your sense of understanding. You’ve
walked where I’ve walked, and that’s
been one of the most valuable things
to me in my life as a ‘mentee.’ You
understand the pressures of my life
and what I’m feeling, as well as the
stress of being in the spotlight as
regularly as I am.
Evie: Yes, though things have changed
a little since I walked in those shoes! I
do know that when you call and
perhaps need a little encouragement,
when we hang up, I am the one that
feels lifted, encouraged and brought
before the throne of God! Just about
every time on these calls, we pray
together on the phone. That’s really
where the majority of our relationship
is these days—by phone and e-mail
and such!
I would even say that in this kind of
“mentoring” relationship, you’ll never
have exactly the same history and
experiences of life that you’re both
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12:32 AM
drawing from. But what God has given
us, Bec, is an understanding and a
common ground that is just
extraordinary!
Page 61
then simultaneously working on an
album or book and doing lots of
media—it all seems to hit at once
sometimes. That’s when I start feeling
the weight of those expectations.
RSJ:
It is! I very much believe in the
importance of mentoring for young
people! I encourage them to let God
show them who He would choose as a
mentor for them. If I had just randomly
picked a lady from my church without
asking God to provide for me, my
experience would never have been the
joyous, truly blessed friendship we
have, Evie!
Evie: Yes! It’s so important that God do
the matching! I think it’s also
important that people know they don’t
have to find someone who has walked
the very same walk to have him or her
be a mentor. They can find that person
or persons through the work of the
Spirit—through a work of God—and all
that’s really needed for this wonderful
relationship to grow is time. The gift of
time and a listening ear. And then we
together just say, “God, what do You
want here?” It’s when two people sit
and share but listen to what God
impresses. Mentors should listen with
their hearts.
the responsibility to fulfill the plans He
has for you. You don’t have to worry—
it’s in His hands! I’ve found a whole lot
of comfort in that, in just learning to
surrender and let it go. As we say in
Australia, “No worries!”
Evie: How rough they can be! And how
difficult to deal with on a regular basis!
We have expectations about ourselves
that can sometimes be so unrealistic.
Expectations that others put upon us
can be equally unrealistic—either too
good to be true or too tough and
difficult. Expectations in and of
themselves are dreadful! I’d much
rather deal with “hope,” which is kind
of a ‘cousin word’ to expectation.
Evie:
I love that! And by the way, if I
could describe you in a single word, it
would be “genuine!” The real thing, the
real McCoy. What you see is what you
get. I always tell people that the
transparent heart that is obvious in
your music and when you’re onstage is
just as evident one on one. I tell them,
“That’s why I love Rebecca so much.
She’s down-to-earth. She is one who’s
RSJ: I told someone the other day, if I
could describe Evie in one word it
would be “encourager.” Those times
on the phone are when I gain so much
encouragement and wisdom. They’re
times when, as you’re praying for me
and just speaking truth into my life,
you’ve encouraged me so much with
some of my biggest challenges—
including the dreaded “E-word!”
Evie: (Laughter) Yes…the dreaded “Eword!’
RSJ: Expectations! What it comes down
to is expectations of self, largely. When
you’re a performer and artist, those
expectations can generally be very
high. You’re constantly striving for
excellence and can be pretty hard on
yourself. I think you and I have agreed
that we’re both pretty hard on
ourselves. And then come the
expectations of other people, which is
constant. When you’re in leadership,
that’s something very normal. I’ve
struggled with that when I’ve been
exhausted from being on the road and
From Left: Rebecca,
Evie and Amy Grant
at the GMA Hall of
Fame event
Hope, of course, is a much more
positive thing. The context of the “Eword,” that you and I have so often
talked about, is that our expectations
have to be pulled back into alignment
with God, with His Word, and with a
realistic understanding of our frailties
and the frailties of others—coupled
with the hope that we have in Him and
in one another. I think unmasking and
revealing these expectations that we
deal with everyday in ourselves and in
others helps us get through it.
RSJ: One of the awesome things we’ve
talked about that has great meaning
for me in facing expectations is, “God
knows the plans He has for you, and
He will fulfill them.” When your life is
totally given over to Him, He will take
things about our relationship with
family and friends, decorating, cooking
and who’s got the best sale going—
that’s the wonderful thing! We have
lots of similar enjoyments in everything
from Thai food to a good sale at H&M—
one of our favorite stores!
unassuming and real through and
through. Her love for Christ is
everything you would think it is when
you listen to her music and more. Her
love for family and friends—her
infectious passion for the Lord—and to
boot, she’s an awful lot of fun!
RSJ: We’re not always serious. We do
have fun and laugh a lot.
Evie: We can find something hilarious
in just about everything, can’t we, Bec
—especially if we’re tired! We share
quite a few laughs about things that go
wrong and where we feel insecure. We
laugh at bad hair days, when the
humidity makes your hair go curly and
makes mine totally go flat! We laugh at
everything and nothing. We share
RSJ: We talk very little about music
when we hang out, but I know people
will want to know your thoughts about
Christian music, Evie, and how it’s
changed from the days you were
walking much the same path I’m
walking now. I can appreciate how you
paved the way for artists like me, and
for that I am totally grateful. I know
we’ve talked about the fact that for you
it was somewhat of a lonely road as
you were often out there on your own,
trying to be in a music ministry when
the concept of [contemporary]
Christian music still barely existed.
Evie: Really, come to think of it, the
music part of our friendship is almost
a sideline—it really is! But to talk about
music for a minute--while clearly this is
a new day and a new era—there are
certain things that are very similar and
other elements that are different. I
never had a manager or a PR gal for
instance! My mother helped with all
the particulars of booking me on
concert tours and with Billy Graham
and television stations and that. But
really, it was just my mom and me.
Today, what you have, Bec, is a
much larger team that is, in a very real
way, supporting you everyday. I sure
wish I’d had more of that myself. It was
often lonely for me. I traveled the
entire world many times over. It was a
little bag with my soundtracks and
me—and that was it! I’m grateful you
don’t have to be so alone. But on the
other hand, there’s a lot that comes
with having this larger support team—
challenges come with that.
Rebecca…does being the mentor in
this relationship mean I get the final
few words?
RSJ: Yes!
Evie: I love you, Bec, and we together
love and adore You, Jesus!
EDITED BY ANDREA BAILEY
ccmmagazine.com
april 05 ccm 61
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Page 63
inreview
music
You Say You Want an Evolution…
4th Avenue Jones forges forward with well-crafted hip-hop that breaks the mold on all levels of musicianship.
4TH AVENUE JONES
Stereo: The Evolution of HipRockSoul
Gotee/Lookalive Records
Hip-hop that’s not for the timid
Ahmad Jones’ 1994 solo platinum hit “Back in
the Day” was a nostalgic ode to a simple time
in life and music. But today neither he nor his
band seems particularly interested in
nostalgia. Perhaps that’s because their
File under:
Grade: Aprofessional lives have been neither simple
Hip-Hop
nor ideal since 4th Avenue Jones’ formation in
A “must have” for those who... enjoy a
musical tour-de-genres highlighted by a
2000. After releasing a buzz-driving indie
knack for brutal lyrical honesty.
debut, No Plan B, the band landed a recording
agreement with industry giant Interscope Records. With L.A. as its hub, 4th Avenue
Jones continued to build a thriving “underground” fanbase during 2002,
anticipating the release of its first Interscope album, No Plan B, Part 2. While the
band shared the stage with the likes of Black Eyed Peas, Macy Gray, Sheryl Crow,
The Roots and others, 4th Avenue Jones eventually found itself in that notorious
red-tape nowhere land known as “record label limbo.” And as time would tell, Part
2 never released.
Fast forwarding on all counts and freed from its Interscope deal, 4th Avenue
Jones has entered a partnership with Gotee Records and constructed the
equivalent of a musical “perfect storm”; an intriguing sonic convergence of
angular alt-rock riffs, gospel fervor, thick urban funk, tight beats, catchy choruses
and experimental production. Although clichés are challenged and genre lines are
blurred at every turn, somehow this band manages to stay securely tethered to its
L.A. hip-hop roots.
Confidently asserting their prowess, Ahmad and Tena Jones give Stereo: The
Evolution of HipRockSoul an uncommon visceral lyricism and emotional
immediacy. The details of a squabble in “Unhappy Birthday” are so honest that
listening feels a little invasive, while the realness of “Overloaded” hits so close it’s
almost cathartic. While many of the tracks lack such personal weight, nearly every
song carries something else equally rewarding. Longtime fans thrown by Ahmad’s
unexpected adventure into singing are specifically rewarded when he reverts back
into a hungry, hip-hop revolutionary on tracks like “Caesar” and “Monumental
Continental,” featuring labelmates GRITS. Not to be outdone, each time Tena
adds her gospel, blues and rhyme flavor to a track, she brings much needed
balance and beauty to a disc that vibrates with intensity.
Those seeking safety in his/her music or lyrics may find Stereo too bold and
brash. But for anyone looking for something a little out of the ordinary, this is a
truly special band. ANTHONY BARR JEFFREY
ccmmagazine.com
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Page 64
NATALIE GRANT
File under:
Grade: A
Pop/Adult Contemporary
A “must have” for those who... want
to get beyond spiritual comfort zones.
NATALIE GRANT
Awaken
Curb
It’s Natalie like you’ve never
heard her before.
Confession time: As soon
as I was assigned to review
Natalie Grant’s new CD, a
not-so-flattering,
preconceived notion came to
mind. Isn’t she just another
generic-sounding pop diva?
But after just one spin of her
aptly titled Awaken disc, that
thought was quickly relegated
to “oh-so-mistaken” status.
Following an eye-opening
overseas journey and a recent
time of spiritual introspection,
Grant now releases her most
poignant and intimately
reflective project to date.
Musically and lyrically, Awaken
propels Grant to an artistic
pinnacle that should give her
some much-deserved street
cred.
Whether it’s through the
powerhouse praise evidenced
on the CD’s title track or the
piano-driven disclosure of
“The Real Me,” the album’s
evocative arrangements
convey the heart of someone
64 ccm april 05
ccmmagazine.com
who confronts reality head
on and embraces social
responsibility as an integral
part of her faith.
One hard-hitting issue
Grant tackles is the
harrowing problem of human
trafficking, not exactly
standard Christian music
material. But after traveling
to India and visiting the
appalling red-light district
there, Grant was shaken by
the experience. Her cathartic
rally cry of sorts is found on
“Home,” a compelling
magnum opus featuring the
Prague Philharmonic
Orchestra. Further
admonition comes on
“What Are You Waiting For,”
a catchy, up-tempo track that
issues an alert to Christians
to abandon complacency
and make a meaningful
difference for eternity.
Other weighty themes
emerge, including selfesteem (“Make Me Over”)
and personal tragedy
(“Held”). Also memorable is
gospel-tinged selection
“Bring It All Together,” a
soul-stirring duet about
restoration beautifully
executed with country music
legend Wynonna Judd.
Throughout the disc,
Grant’s robust vocal delivery
shines through brilliantly.
Moreover, full-bodied
instrumentation and solid
production enhance an
already stellar effort. Clearly
her finest performance, this
release certainly bodes well
for Grant’s continued
fruitfulness.
DAVID McCREARY
File under:
Grade: BRock
A “must have” for those who... enjoy
a heaping platter of modern rock
guitar punch.
ANBERLIN
Never Take Friendship
Personal
Tooth & Nail
Proficient rock rings with
plenty of potential.
Modern rock’s deep-fried
sound tastes mighty fine in
small morsels. But over the
course of a whole album, a
homogenized mix of
strident, distorted guitars,
pounding drums and angstdrenched vocals sparks ear
fatigue.
So it is with Anberlin’s
Never Take Friendship
Personal—a disc that, while
its individual songs (and
sing-along hooks) often
satisfy, fails to transcend a
formulaic plateau.
That’s surprising, in part
because producer/engineer
Aaron Sprinkle (Poor Old Lu)
has such fine indie
credentials. And to be sure,
ample moments here prove
that Anberlin packs plenty
of inspiration. On “(The
Symphony of the) Blasé,” a
spiraling, 16th-note high-hat
loops around a revolving
guitar figure. It’s a steely,
key-of-C ballad, spiked with
ghostly bell tones,
suggesting some exotic
hybrid of The Cure and
Toad the Wet Sprocket.
Yet much of Personal
opts for a driving, top-down,
volume-up approach—which
is not to say the rest of the
album lacks highlights. With
the title track, singer
Stephen Christian’s choppy
verse syncopation provides
a catchy setup for the calland-response chorus, while
his yearning performance
on “A Day Late” is
countered nicely by creamy
harmonies. And on “The
Feel Good Drag,” a
descending bass line
wrestles with ascending
guitars and an angry vocal,
until the tune breaks down
like a car gasping for gas.
Perhaps the juxtaposition
of the last two tunes,
though, illustrates the
contrast between what
could have been and what
is. “A Heavy Hearted Work
of Staggering Genius” may
last little more than a
minute, but it is a stunner: a
sparse spaghetti-western
instrumental that conjures
images of an abandoned
nuclear test site. It is
followed by “Dance, Dance,
Christa Paffgen,” a song
that clocks in at an epic
7:09 but lacks the dynamics
or twists to justify its length.
Personal belongs in that
category of records that
deserves points for its
spiritual earnestness but
smacks of something
approaching sonic
calculation. What hints of
artistic risk that arise are
obscured, alas, behind a
too-obvious wall of guitars.
LOUIS R. CARLOZO
ANBERLIN
File under:
Grade: BPop/Rock
A “must have” for those who...
resonate with anthems of positive
empowerment.
SUPERCHIC[K]
Beauty From Pain
Inpop
More positive messages
that even your parents will
love
After following up its first two
smash releases with the
remix project Regeneration,
the band with the bracketed
“k” is back with 10 new
songs to empower Christian
youth. It’s a good thing, too,
since Superchic[k] seems to
fill the pop/punk/rock/
female singer niche that no
one else has yet to touch.
Not only does the opening
tune “Anthem” kick off the
album with a bang, but it
also sets the recurring
theme of confidence and
positivity. Loud and fast, the
song is dedicated to “girls on
the boards with bruises and
scars” among others and
reminds kids to not give up.
“Bowling Ball,” “Wishes,”
and “It’s On” continue the
trend, radiating self-esteem
builders as their short-yetmemorable choruses loop
over rebellious guitars. With
lyrics like “You need that boy
like a bowling ball dropped
on your head which means
not at all” and “No matter
how you feel it’s what you do
that matters,” songwriter Max
Hsu maintains a balance
CCM_05.05_Music.v9
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1:04 PM
between lighthearted
rhymes and poetic depth.
Also an accomplished
producer (tobyMac, Jump5),
he blends affected vocals
with synthesized notes and
clean beats for a blended,
atmospheric effect in
“Suddenly.” A similar
technique sets the mood in
“Courage,” betraying the
heavy subject matter of
struggling with an eating
disorder.
Ironically, the title track
and most impressive
composition, “Beauty from
Pain,” is about as far from
the signature Superchic[k]
sound as it gets, although
pinpointing the group’s
sound is not a simple task.
While Superchic[k] comes
across live as rockers with
punk-tinged guitar chords,
its radio singles portray
more melodic traits like
acoustic guitar mixed with
delicate orchestration.
“Beauty from Pain” could
have been lifted from a
Sarah McLachlan album,
with its gorgeous vocals
and a piano foundation.
The emotion of the song is
almost overwhelming with a
promising message of
hope: “After all this has
passed, I still will remain.
After I’ve cried my last,
there will be beauty from
pain.”
The band truly hits its
stride with tracks “Pure”
(the record’s first single),
“Stories (Down to the
Bottom)” (a slightly
different mix of the song it
originally recorded for
tobyMac) and “We Live.”
Mixing its pop/punk guitars
with hints of reggae and
rap, this is a style that
makes the most of the
band’s eclectic talents.
JESSICA ROBIN
Page 65
File under:
Grade: B+
Pop/Rock
A “must have” for those who... enjoy
hearing a vulnerable singer-songwriter
find the light
PAUL COLMAN
doing really matter at all?”
he sings before answering:
“But the one thing I don’t
question is you.”
Songs like “I’m Coming
Home” and the melancholy
“Last Night in America” offer
similar thoughts, but the
best is “Sweet River.” On it,
Colman shifts from brooding,
tribal-drummed verses to a
lush chorus, perfectly
matching lyrics about a dark
night of the soul that gives
way to blessing.
PAUL COLMAN
continued on page 66 >>
Let It Go
Inpop
A satisfying solo outing from
the outspoken Aussie
Christian music fans in
America know Paul Colman
best as the leader of his Trio,
which released two highly
regarded albums and won
accolades including a Dove
Award for “New Artist of the
Year” in 2003. But Colman,
who disbanded his group last
year, is no stranger to life as
a solo artist. Before the trio,
he released three
independent albums and
traveled the globe. Clearly,
it’s in his blood.
Perhaps that’s why Let It
Go is less a solo revelation
and more an extension of
what Colman has done all
along — smart, Europeanflavored power pop.
This time, Colman is
surrounded by top Nashville
producers and writers,
including Ed Cash
(responsible for Chris
Tomlin’s excellent Arriving),
Newsboy Peter Furler and
worship leader Jason Ingram.
Even so, the guitar-driven
rock and Colman’s strong but
understated vocals will be
instantly recognizable to fans
of his trio’s New Map of the
World and One.
The acoustic-driven “The
One Thing” launches the
album with a Paul Wrightmeets-John Mayer vibe, with
Colman revealing themes of
soul searching, questioning
and, ultimately, finding rest
in God. “I’ve questioned
significance, meaning and
relevance/Does the work I’m
Find it Online...
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Sing it on Sunday!
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this complete and this flexible!
Visit http://wordmusicnow.com to register
CCM_05.05_Music.v9
3/11/05
1:04 PM
Page 66
>> continued from page 65
About the only thing
missing from Colman’s trio
days is that band’s slightly
edgier treatment. With all
the Nashville cats playing,
Let It Go leans toward
standard pop rather than the
focused tightness of three
guys rocking. But his sweet
melodies and vulnerability
allow him a free pass on that
one.
File under:
Grade: B+
Rock/Emo
A “must have” for those who... dig
innovative rock that keeps you
guessing, both musically and
otherwise.
ANTHONY DeBARROS
SUBSEVEN
Free To Conquer
Flicker
Redemptive rock flourishes
with a decidedly
mainstream sound.
SEVENTH DAY SLUMBER
File under:
Grade: B+
Modern rock
to rock but don’t mind downshifting
for ballads
SEVENTH DAY
SLUMBER
Once Upon a
Shattered Life
BEC
A little something for every
breed of rock & roller
Seventh Day Slumber’s
debut for BEC feels like an
album from a band flirting
with two identities. On the
one hand, there’s a
thundering riff-monster
capable of hammering
listeners with pile-driver
licks. On the other, there’s a
glossy, radio friendly ballad
machine able to soothe us
with sweet songs of
redemption. The band
sounds best when it’s
rocking hardest, but both
sides of its personality mesh
well enough that the duality
doesn’t become more than a
minor distraction.
Singer and primary
songwriter Joseph Rojas has
a powerful set of vocal pipes,
and he can veer from a
croon to one of those throatrattling grindcore screams in
a flash. On “Break Me,”
when he growls that “… you
tried to break me down,” it’s
with an intensity that
66 ccm april 05
ccmmagazine.com
effectively relays his
frustration over the shots he
took from his adversary. But
then, on album closers
“Masquerade” and “Oceans
From the Rain,” his singing
finds a far more subtle tone.
His voice might not be any
more unique than most on
modern rock radio, but it’s
one of the rare ones that
combines intensity with
grace.
Producer Aaron Sprinkle
(MxPx, Starflyer59) gives that
voice a crisp bed. Jeremy
Holderfield’s warm, crunchy
guitar tones leap out of the
mix, especially on the riffhappy “Make Believe” and
“Chris’ Letter.” Drummer Ray
Fryoux’s kit gets plenty of
punch, and bassist Joshua
Schwartz’s lines range from
the melodic upper range to
deep lows, particularly on
“Back in Time.” All this
elevates the album even
when some songs—like the
ballads “Caroline” and “I
Believe”—lean too close to
generic modern rock.
Ultimately, the album’s
best point is that it speaks
deeply of redemption.
Several band members’
stories include bouts with
drug addiction and the
pain of a broken home, and
in that context songs of
finding God amid the fires
of life resonate strongly. A
solid effort.
ANTHONY DeBARROS
File under:
Grade: B
Modern Worship/Pop-electronica
to experience an ultramodern
approach to Crowder’s music.
DAVID
CROWDER
BAND
Sunsets & Sushi:
Experiments and
Spectral Deconstruction
sixsteps/Sparrow
This sushi is some tasty
stuff.
Modern worship purveyors the
David Crowder Band bring 21st
century technology to the
forefront on this
unconventional, eight-song
remix project. Sunsets and
Sushi dismantles tracks from
the sextet’s 2003 Illuminate
album and reassembles the
material into something Joy
Electric or New Order might
covet.
The current disc
showcases newly interpreted,
electronica-driven versions of
previous standouts including
vertically oriented songs “O
Praise Him (All This for a
King)” and “Revolutionary
Love.” Continuing to siphon
from M-Audio/Propellerhead
Reason software, Crowder
further extrapolates on the
electronic sequencing and
sampling techniques used to
record Illuminate.
By and large, the
retooling experiment
succeeds, especially when it
comes to the mesmeric
intonations of synth-heavy
numbers like “No One Like
You “ and “Open Skies. “
A few moments surface
when listeners may wonder
what chemicals got spilled
in the process. To wit, the
droning beats of
“Intoxicating” sound like the
Human League on Paxil.
Then there’s mid-tempo cut
“Deliver Me, “ which
possesses abundant
spiritual depth yet lacks
sonic intensity.
Those searching for an
aural experience that
pushes the boundaries of
contemporary praise should
find enough to satisfy here,
as will readers of Crowder’s
first book, Praise Habit:
Finding God in Sunsets and
Sushi (NavPress), releasing
concurrently with the CD.
DAVID McCREARY
It’s hard to put a stylistic
label on what the band
Subseven is all about. Just
when you think you’ve
pegged it as yet another
assembly line, emo/poppunk combo, the noteworthy
track “Family Secrets”
comes along to stir up the
pot. Introduced by a wiry,
almost new wave-ish electric
lead guitar intro, vocalist
Wesley Fite sings it with a
sarcastic snarl worthy of the
garage band renderings of
The Hives. It’s obvious that
Subseven has no intentions
of getting stuck on any
assembly line.
In his role of vocalist, Fite
also has his share of vocal
screaming fits here. They all
do, it seems, these days. But
he also sings melodically in
places, too, which reveals
how Subseven is daring
enough to experiment with a
few basic formulas now and
again. Although the group is
unabashedly Christian,
these tracks don’t always fit
into nice, neat, spiritual
lyrical categories. “Mayday”
is a desperate cry for God’s
help, whereas “Free to
Conquer” offers big guitars
and big encouragement. The
quiet “Breathe,” which
speaks about God’s
assuring love, is also a
standout. But “Game of
Love” is something much
more difficult to pigeonhole.
It alternates between being
a fast screamer and a fast
CCM_05.05_Music.v9
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smoothie, and seemingly
addresses the oftentimescruel game of love.
Being hard to categorize
can sometimes be a good
thing. As so many new
bands are obviously jumping
Page 67
the latest stylistic musical
trains these days, it’s always
refreshing to find a group
with the guts to ride its own
unique rails. These
musicians have created a CD
that will speak to both
believers and non-believers
alike and in a manner that
demands listeners be just as
adventurous as the band
that created it.
DAN MacINTOSH
newreleases
APRIL 5
Anointed
Now is the Time
Kent Bottenfield
Take Me Back
(Sony/Integrity Gospel)
Kristin Chenoweth
As I Am
Donnie McClurkin
Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs
The Wedding
The Wedding
Various
Wow #1s
(Provident)
Various
Wow #1s (DVD)
(Provident)
(IBB)
(Sony/Integrity)
(Verity)
(Rambler)
APRIL 12
Mighty Clouds of Joy
In the House of the Lord: Live in Houston
Various
Gospel Instrumental, Vol. 2
(EMI Gospel)
(New Day)
Various
16 Great Praise & Worship Instrumentals,
Vol. 2
(New Day)
Various
16 Great Gospel Classics, Vol. 4
(New Day)
Various
Passion: How Great is Our God (Live)
(sixsteps/Sparrow)
APRIL 19
The Lads
The Lads
The Soul Seekers
The Soul Seekers
The Tonic
The Dash
(BHT)
(Gospo Centric)
(Cross Movement/Provident)
Greater Vision,
Legacy Five &
The Perrys
(New Day)
Singing News Favorites
APRIL 26
SUBSEVEN
House of Heroes
House of Heroes
The Kry
God of Infinite Worth
(Gotee)
Shawn McDonald
Live in Seattle
(Sparrow)
Julian Road
Julian Road
(New Day)
Jason Upton
Great River Road
(Independent)
(Gotee)
ccmmagazine.com
april 05 ccm 67
CCM INDIE ADVERTORIAL
3/11/05
12:20 PM
Page 69
S P E C I A L
A D V E R T I S I N G
S E C T I O N
CCM is pleased to present our special annual spotlight on some of today’s finest
independent artists. Read on as our guest columnist (and bleeding heart for the indie
artist), Keith Mohr, gets things started with an inside look at his company, IndieHeaven.
IndieHeaven is a Web-based community
dedicated to bringing together independent
Christian artists from around the globe to
enable, equip, affirm and empower them
to fulfill God’s call on their lives.
The Web site also provides independent
artists with an advanced set of tools to
promote, market and distribute their
music. IndieHeaven offers artists ample
server space for music files, pictures and
a calendar. We also fulfill orders for their
CDs from our Nashville-based office.
Artists can easily add and manage
their content and create and send e-mail
campaigns to their fans via
IndieHeaven’s exclusive “Fan Finder”
tool. IndieHeaven also has an
exclusive online radio servicing
program where stations log in and
preview songs submitted by the
IndieHeaven roster. Stations can rate
and comment on the songs, and if
desired, can download a high-quality
MP3 file and play the song on the air.
Promoters can also schedule
artists for concerts through a special
“Book This Artist” form found on
each artist’s page. IndieHeaven
provides a thorough and up-to-date
listing of nationwide venues. In fact,
IndieHeaven’s online community is
one of its best features, with artists
sharing information on a wide
range of topics on the forums.
Most importantly, however,
IndieHeaven emphasizes
interdependency with its roster,
providing artists with opportunities
to help one another succeed. This
component makes IndieHeaven
different from other music Web
sites. IndieHeaven is the vehicle to
take on your path to success.
IndieHeaven.com launched in 1997
under the name BrokenRecords.com
and sur vived the dot-com era
boom and subsequent bust when
other indie music sites launched
with tremendous financial backing
but disappeared quickly. In 2002,
BrokenRecords.com evolved into
IndieHeaven, which better
reflected the organization’s core
mission. In just two years, IndieHeaven
has more than 315 active members and
remains truly independent.
Visit IndieHeaven today and learn more
about its roster. You can listen to music,
purchase CDs and leave comments,
ratings and more at indieHeaven.com.
P.S. Look for our double-page ad in this
issue of CCM.
Keith Mohr is the founder and president of
IndieHeaven.com, a co-operative marketing,
promotions and distribution community serving
over 315 artists. Online non-stop since 1997,
Keith has worked with thousands of indie artists,
and has also produced many custom independent
recording projects. Based in Nashville, Tenn.,
Keith also operates Indieuniversity.com, and
founded the upcoming “Will Play for Change”
summer tour.
by Keith Mohr
ccmmagazine.com
april 05 ccm 69
3/11/05
12:20 PM
Page 70
S P E C I A L
S E C T I O N
WILL PLAY FOR
CHANGE
IndieHeaven.com, the leading Christian independent artist organization, and
Mission of Mercy (missionofmercy.org), a Christian relief agency, announce a
strategic partnership offering child sponsorship opportunities to independent
artists. IndieHeaven and Mission of Mercy also announce sponsorship of an indie
tour called “Will Play for Change 2005” due to hit the road June 1 – June 25 in
locales to be announced.
“We’ll tap the roster of artists on IndieHeaven to sponsor concerts and festivals
in their hometowns. We’ll invite other IndieHeaven artists in the area to participate
as well,” states IndieHeaven founder, Keith Mohr. “It’s common in the indie scene
for artists to wait for events to find them. Instead of this passive approach, we’ll
teach them how to create their own events and how to have an impact on their
local communities.”
“The purposes of the tour are to raise awareness for Mission of Mercy, make
available child sponsorships to attendees, bring IndieHeaven artists together to
share their talents and see lives changed,” says Mohr.
Mission of Mercy has relief teams in areas affected by the recent Tsunami
disaster, and also has an excellent child sponsorship program meeting the needs
of children in developing nations. “I personally believe in Mission of Mercy and
their much needed efforts. I will do whatever I can to marry Mission of Mercy with
proactive indie artists,” comments Mohr.
The anchor artist for the tour is Iowa-based group Bread of Stone
(breadofstone.com). “These guys have a real heart for countries hard hit by the
Tsunami disaster, and have ministry teams on the ground in Indonesia” elaborates
Mohr. “God has equipped the group with a tour bus, excellent sound system and
everything needed to take out a tour of this size. We are grateful for their generous
participation,” adds Mohr.
“We’re excited to launch our partnership with Mission of Mercy and Will Play for
Change. We’ll see how these three weeks go and in 2006, we’ll take the tour
nationwide,” states Mohr. “It’s amazing how God provides if we are willing to make
ourselves available.”
Visit the tour site at: willplayforchange.com
ABOUT MISSION OF MERCY
Mission of Mercy is a Christian relief and development agency helping to meet
the physical and spiritual needs of hurting children in poverty-stricken areas of the
world. Through emergency and support roles, children receive food, education,
medical aid and hope in Jesus Christ. Mission of Mercy’s headquarters are located
in Colorado Springs, Colo.
70 ccm april 05
ccmmagazine.com
Artist Name: Ryan Neely
Homebase: Louisville, KY (currently
stationed in Iraq)
Web site: www.ryanneely.com
In A Nutshell: Ryan Neely is a Christian
rapper from Louisville, KY. He has been
doing Christian rap music for more than
four years, and continues to make an
impact throughout his surroundings.
Sounds like: A Christian version of Nas
or Tupac
Seen & Heard: Gospel radio, college
radio, churches, coffee houses,
scholastic extracurricular club events,
high school basketball games, house
parties, and parking lots in the
Louisville area. Also the South Speicher
Chapel and the Oasis Coffee House
located on FOB Speicher in Iraq.
Kudos: Opened for Barlow Girl in 2004.
What’s Unique: Ryan is currently serving
his country overseas in Operation Iraqi
Freedom, where he is able to use his gift
to bless the troops. He’s also just
become the CEO of his own company, In
The House Records, LLC.
Discography: Look Into My Heart
(2004), Wakem’ Up (2000)
Get It Now!: The Look Into My Heart
album can be purchased from
CDbaby.com, TowerRecords.com, or
downloaded from Apple iTunes, Napster,
Rhapsody, and many other digital music
distribution web sites.
Contact: [email protected].
Booking: Jeff Wood (502) 741-3119 or
[email protected]
hot
stuff.
cool
prices.
3/11/05
12:20 PM
introducing our CCM
cover artist line
Page 74
S P E C I A L
S E C T I O N
Artist Name: Shofar
Homebase: Minneapolis, MN
Website: shofarmusicgroup.com
In A Nutshell: Shofar melds together a unique
ensemble of rock and roll past with the present
melodic sound of alternative rock to form the new
sound we call Modern Pop Rock, all with a strong
Christian message! This music appeals to all ages
and denominations.
Sounds like: Pop/rock alternative with a twist.
Somewhere in-between Switchfoot and The Beatles.
Seen and Heard: Club 3 Degrees, MN State Fair,
colleges, public schools, churches and
coffeehouses throughout the Midwest, including opening for Grammy Award winner
Joel Hanson of PFR.
Kudos: Participated in the new CD Unsung Heroes, a compilation of the best bands
in the Midwest.
What’s Unique: Shofar is a blend of the best Minnesota has to offer in musicianship
and ministry. No two songs sound alike! The new CD Turn accentuates various forms
of unique lyrical and melodic writing, forming a variety of relational songs that appeal
to all people, young and old. Everyone can relate to the music of Shofar!
Discography: Turn (2005) and Countdown to Eternity (2003)
Get it Now: www.shofarmusicgroup.com
Contact: [email protected] or call (612) 518-9550
Artist Name: Crossway Worship Band
Jeremy Camp T-1
$15.00
Jeremy Camp T-2
$18.00
Jeremy Camp T-3
$18.00
Go to CCMmagazine.com/store
to get these great deals! Available at
The CCM Store for a limited time only!
Homebase: Memphis, TN
Website: crosswayworship.com
In A Nutshell: CWB has a way of connecting
common people with the uncomplicated presence
of God. Crossway Worship Music is made of
memorable melodies and fun grooves. The
straightforward lyrics without all the
“Christianese” help the unchurched masses
approach God on a level they identify with while
helping churchgoers stop taking themselves so
seriously and just love God with genuine passion.
Sounds like: Gospel Rock Praise & Worship Jam
Seen & Heard: Churches, festivals, and community events throughout the Midsouth
region (TN, AR, MS) and live Sunday Mornings at WorshipService.net.
Kudos: Five band members nominated for Regional Grammy Awards 2003. Led
worship at CIA Summit in Franklin, TN 2004; PowerSource Music Fest in Nashville
2003; and Chicago’s famous Cubby Bear Club 2002. Pastor Doug has taught
numerous worship conferences across the U.S.
What’s Unique: Six piece multi-cultural band with nine vocalists bringing rich
harmonies to various styles of all original music. Vocalists alternate leads bringing
the diversity of a compilation CD with the consistency and unity of one band.
Discography: Crossway Worship Volume 4 (2005), On Bended Knee (2002), Amazed
(2002), All Day Long (1999)
Get It Now!: IndieHeaven.com, CDBaby.com, Amazon.com, MixClix.com, iTunes.com,
Rhapsody, Audio Lunchbox, Mperia, TowerRecords.com, Target.com, and locally at Family
Christian Store, SpinStreet, Cat’s Music and Pop Tunes in Memphis and Collierville.
Contact: (901) 388-8515 or [email protected] for booking and wholesale
distribution information.
74 ccm april 05
ccmmagazine.com
3/11/05
12:20 PM
Page 76
S P E C I A L
Biblical Principles of Worship
By Patsy Fralich Keith
“It will reshape the way you worship and look at church. Your
eyes will open to a whole other realm, and you’ll say, ‘How did I
miss that?’” says Doug Simmers, Pastor of Crossway Church in
Memphis, Tennessee. Simmers, on a search to discover real
worship, discovered a fresh way to see what is often overlooked.
In his soon-to-be-published Biblical Principles of Worship,
Simmers compiles what he shared in a six-month sermon
series in 1997. In the eight years since publishing these
transcribed sermons to their website, thousands of readers
have studied them from as far away as New Zealand and
Africa. Other authors have referenced it, too. “We’ve seen
people repeating Doug’s words, even down to his folksy
examples,” says Holly Simmers, Doug’s sister-in-law. Doug
Simmers doesn’t mind. He wants churches everywhere set
free to worship God with boldness as He commands.
The title may sound daunting, but Biblical Principles of Worship
is actually a fun read for people who enjoy words and discovering
their origins. “The book is a word study,” says Simmers. “There
are 840 verses on praise, worship and thanksgiving. This study
compares the Greek and Hebrew words for ‘praise’ and ‘worship’
throughout the Old and New Testaments with English
translations.” Simmers holds readers’ interest with plenty of
S E C T I O N
examples from his own life.
Simmers says we don’t always
grasp the complete meanings of
the words for praise and worship.
That lack of understanding keeps
us from living in the brightness of
the original words. For example,
the word hallal from hallelujah
means “to rave; to clamorously and
foolishly celebrate the Lord.”
Doug Simmers
“Most of us don’t know to
worship like that,” Simmers adds. “We’re like movie goers. We
just observe. In the Hebrew language, they all participated.”
Simmers gets excited about these discoveries and passes that
enthusiasm along to anyone he can.
“In Zephaniah 3:17 where it says ‘God rejoices over you with
songs,’ that means God ‘spins’ around as He rejoices,”
Simmers enthuses. “Those kinds of things get to me. I just say
‘Man! So that’s what that means!”
Simmers identifies with Matthew 12:20. “I’m like that bruised
reed. I felt I would be broken off. Because of all I’d done I thought
God could never use me. But God uses broken people.” Crossway
Church uses Worship Outreach to restore them. “I love this
city,” says Doug. “And I will continue to fight for the outcast.”
CCM_05.05_Books.v4
3/11/05
12:08 PM
Page 78
inreview
books
Reading: The Apple of My Eye
by Margaret Becker
This past summer my next-door neighbor Whitney ran to my front door
with book in hand. Wheezing from the jaunt, she whispered, “You gotta
read this!” While shaking fresh grass clippings from her furry slippers,
she continued, “You’re gonna love it! There’s a dog in it!”
My neighbor is 12. Her book was Because of Winn Dixie, a
children’s novel by Kate DiCamillo. I read it and loved it.
My last vacation, I stopped by the essay section in the Davis-Kidd
bookstore and bought a book by a well-known left-wing cultural commentator. While I’m not going to plug the title in this column, let’s just say
that my mind was stretched by the time I finished.
And I loved it.
Then there are the classics offered up in high school that I’ve revisited as an adult, Catcher in the Rye, Old Man and the Sea, and next, if
I am on a transatlantic flight or in line at the DMV, War and Peace.
Why spend time reading this stuff?
Oh, for so many good reasons.
Winn Dixie was like getting lost at a
matinee with a bunch of kids. There,
tucked away in the back, humor
becomes simple. Life falls into two
categories: good or bad. Good
triumphs eventually, and just like
Winn Dixie, you’re a little reluctant to
close the book at the end—you try to
take a little of the simplicity with you
into real life.
My ‘essay’ book was like having a
non-hostile debate with an intelligent
adversary. I found new ways to support my own values, and more surprisingly, I found that I had some common ground with the author. I was
better for it, sharpened by it.
And the classics? They are like music. A great writer has a rhythm, a
lilt—both emotionally and literally. Reading his/her finely crafted sentences is like listening to a moving song. The lines contain drama, unexpected revelations and multiple levels of understanding for those who
would care to uncover them. Reading them made me a better thinker, a
better communicator.
Reading a wide range of literature is, at the very least, good for you
the way an apple is. It keeps you healthy—in your imagination and in
your growth as a human being. It keeps you reaching for intelligence. It
helps you solidify what you stand for, and against.
But perhaps best of all, in a culture where it is all about “ease of
use,” reading actually requires something of us—our full attention and
intellectual engagement, all without a remote control and surround
sound.
How refreshingly retro.
Margaret Becker is an award-winning
author, speaker, producer, songwriter and
recording artist. Her latest work includes
her third book, Braving the Elements, which
is set for a Fall 2005 release and the recent
worship recording, Faithfully Yours. For
more information visit maggieb.com.
On the Personal Side
Inside of Me: Lessons of Lust, Love and Redemption
By Shellie R. Warren (Relevant)
More people than you think—and more people close to you—
fall prey to sexual misuse, or any sexual relationship outside
of marriage. Driven to help others who share a similar experience and knowing that it affects everything about you as well
as a future spouse and children, author Shellie R. Warren
shares her own raw and sometimes shocking memoir of the
path that led to sexual misuse.
Why Men Hate Going to Church
By David Murrow (Nelson)
Neither a pastor nor a theologian, Murrow offers a lay
“churchgoer’s” perspective on why statistics show 13 million
more women than men attend America’s churches. Divided
into six parts, Murrow’s book offers his thoughts on topics
from the gender gaps present in congregations to meeting
men’s spiritual needs and restoring masculinity in the church.
Meet Me in the Meadow: Finding God in the Wilderness
By Deborah Hedstrom-Page (Revell)
This unique devotional hits the shelves at the perfect time—
spring. Confessed lover of flowers, Hedstrom-Page pairs her
vast knowledge of the growth region and a wide array of
blooms with Scripture and a devotional section that allows
readers to experience God’s love through His creation.
From the Fiction Files
Worlds Collide
By Allison Strobel (Waterbrook)
Releasing this month, Worlds Collide offers a story about a
Hollywood couple and the biographer writing its story. When
Jack Harrington and Grace Winslow share their life with writer
Jada Eastman, Jada is forced to reckon with her own spiritual beliefs in light of the couple’s. Their story reveals how
choices can carry lasting consquences.
The Whitney Chronicles: Life, Faith and Getting it Right
By Judy Baer (Steeple Hill)
In the same vein as the “Bridget Jones’ Diary” series, Baer
presents heroine Whitney Blake, a 30-year-old, overweight,
single young woman who’s looking for “Mr. Right.” Though Ms.
Blake and Ms. Jones may share similar characteristics, the
point that sets the two apart is that Whitney approaches her
life from a biblical perspective.
Artist’s Corner
Praise Habit: Finding God in Sunsets and Sushi
By David Crowder (Navpress)
Releasing alongside his remix of favorites and radio hits
Sunsets and Sushi—Experiments in Spectral Deconstruction is
David Crowder’s first book, Praise Habit. The popular worship
leader devotes 156 pages, filled with personal stories and
quirky observations, to explore ways to make praising God a
lifestyle.
Books profiled by Anneka Morgan
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inreview
by Richard Farley
gear
DAVID CROWDER:
The Man, The Myth, The Crowdster
A SHURE THING
David Crowder Band
THE BIRTH OF THE CROWDSTER
Tom Anderson’s electric guitars have been played by such music icons as Mick
Jagger and Keith Richards (Rolling Stones), Don Felder (Eagles), Steve Miller and
many others, including Christian music’s very own David Crowder Band guitarist
Jack Parker. Parker received his Anderson electric guitar as a college graduation
gift and was the one who first brought the Los Angeles-based company to
Crowder’s attention. Amazed at the sound and ease of play, Crowder e-mailed
Tom and asked, “Why are you sharing all your love with the electric players?”
As a fan of Crowder’s music, Anderson took the e-mail as a challenge and, in
collaboration with the singer/
songwriter, developed a prototype
known simply as the “Crowdster.”
Designed to produce superlative,
amplified, acoustic guitar tones in
front of large crowds without any
feedback, the guitar has been played
by Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora.
Says Crowder, “It has a Buzz Feiten Tuning System that helps with the
intonation and tuning of the guitar. Somehow it resonates more, and I don’t have
to meddle with the EQ. When picking up other guitars you are reminded of your
limitations. The necks [of Anderson guitars] make you sound and feel like a much
better player than you are. To play an Anderson transcends the earthly.” These
are lofty words coming from a man who plays more than 250 shows a year.
andersonguitars.com
INSIDERS' TIP
An ever-growing alternative to standard tuning, DADGAD simply involves
dropping the 1st, 2nd and 6th string down a whole step. Follow these three easy
steps and see what all the hype is about.
1.) Match the note on the 7th fret of the 6th string with an open 5th string
2.) Match your open 2nd string with the 2nd fret of the 3rd string
3.) Match your 1st string with the 5th fret of the 2nd string
80 ccm april 05
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The legendary SM57 instrument/vocal
mic from Shure is one of the most
trusted and popular mics available.
Perfect for road travel, this tested,
dynamic mic constantly delivers the
same warm, natural sound night after
night. In addition, the SM57’s wide
frequency response (40Hz-15kHz) has
helped make it a perfect choice in the
studio. Durability and versatility are the hallmarks of the SM57; and,
although it can be used for vocals, the mic is most commonly utilized for
close-in micing of amps and speakers. “I find the SM57 to accommodate the
reproduction of tone,” remarks Crowder in regard to capturing the perfect
guitar sound. For the price, durability and history, I believe this is the best
instrument/vocal mic on the market.
shure.com
$89.00
IF THAT ISN’T REASON ENOUGH
With the release of its highly
acclaimed album Illuminate, the
David Crowder Band (DCB)
became the first Christian artist
to
include
Propellerhead’s
Reason 2.5 software on each CD.
This lauded, stand-alone music
station software is a complete,
virtual studio rack with built-in
synthesizers, samples, drum
machines, recycle-based loop
players, a mixer, effects, pattern sequences and more. In short, Reason 2.5
allows you to create and re-create just about anything in the live setting that
your heart desires. The DCB used the software for almost all of the
programming featured on the album, and the members continue to use it.
“We use Reason with practically every song we do. It has changed the very
way we’ve made music in the past couple of years, and the depth of this
software is ridiculous,” says Crowder. When asked what gear advice he
would give an artist, Crowder responds, “Get Reason software. It is fairly
affordable and a bargain for what it can do.” Any questions? Be sure to
check out the updated 3.0 version which released in March.
propellerheads.se
PAINFUL, BUT TRUE
During one of his concerts, Crowder
actually popped a string from his guitar
that, in turn, went directly through his
cheek. When talking about this traumatic
experience, Crowder commented, “It hurt
and was painful on both an emotional
and physical level.” No word yet if the
“Crowdster” was involved.
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t
standingroomonly
your guide to concerts
by Andy Argyrakis
REHEARSAL ROUND-UP
A dress rehearsal is always essential before
hitting the road, but what happens prior to
ironing out all those pre-opening night wrinkles?
Point of Grace’s Shelley Breen shares a
timeline of setting and shaping up:
First things first: Usually the biggest question
All photos by Andy Argyrakis
before a tour is, “Who do we want to take with
us?” A lot of artists send over press packages
and pitch us to bring them along, so we do a lot
of wading through that. Our goal is to get a
variety of artists who can appeal to a wide age
group since our fan base is often parents, their
kids and sometimes the grandparents.
Flex those vocal chords: As the sets are
L-R: Point of Grace’s Denise Jones, Scott Krippayne, Charity Von
“I CHOOSE YOU” TOUR
POINT OF GRACE, SCOTT KRIPPAYNE, CHARITY VON
CHRIST COMMUNITY CHURCH | FRANKLIN, TN —FEB. 1, 2005
Getting ready for a tour can be just as tedious as putting
on a perfect performance night after night and then
traveling to the next city on time. Just about any
established artist puts in plenty of preparation to get a
show down pat, and veteran girl group Point of Grace is
no exception. POG has been featured in virtually every
type of concert setting over the years, including tiny
venues with sparse crowds, worship conferences at
churches and package line-ups in major arenas. But the
foursome’s latest jaunt comes on the heels of several
changes, including last year’s addition of member Leigh
Cappillino, a greater grasp of acoustic pop progressiveness on its latest album, I Choose You and signing with
a new management company.
Though the official tour opening wouldn’t be until two
days later in Virginia, the crew, band and performers all
set up shop like it was the real deal, arriving at the
venue extra early to tweak lighting, stage rigging and
other concert logistics. Headliners POG, along with
tourmates Scott Krippayne and Charity Von, also arrived
ahead of time, testing microphones, finalizing song
arrangements and confirming the dialogue they’d later
use during the show. The lucky friends, family and press
who were invited first faced the outing’s sound check,
which was an exhaustively detailed, incredibly intricate
undertaking in the tour’s inaugural stage. Besides
perfecting melody lines and making last-minute set list
changes, final touches were also added to the
choreography and order of onstage introductions. After
a prayer asking for lives to be touched on the tour and
a disclaimer from POG figurehead Shelley Breen that
the kinks were still being kicked out, the house lights
faded and the extravaganza entered full swing.
For the next two hours each artist would rotate
through a tightly timed event, which, for the first time in
POG history, featured collaborative, family-style billing.
Rather than a traditional opening, middle and closing
act, Krippayne performed originals and played piano
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with the band; and Von unveiled meaty chops from her
self-titled solo debut while backing POG (who also
returned the favor at various points in the pacing).
Future attendees can look forward to highlights
including Krippayne’s Maroon 5-meets-Billy Joel piano
pop off his stellar Gentle Revolution album and Von’s
powerhouse pipes akin to Janis Joplin on cuts such
as “Weight of the World” and “You Make It Fine.” POG
also lent mighty melodies to earthy new selections
like “Down” and “Make It Real,” plus faith affirming
classics such as “The Great Divide” and “Keep the
Candle Burning.”
Catching up with all of the aforementioned parties
backstage after the show indicated overall satisfaction
with the first take. All breathed a further collective sigh
of relief when those gathered passed on pleasing
feedback and many promises they’d visit a future date.
Fans will have the opportunity to do just that as the
tour’s current leg runs through the end of this month.
Dates are available at pointofgrace.net.
being designed and all the proper people are
being hired, the group spends most of its time
shaping up the members’ voices. Our
bandleader usually makes work tapes that have
a lot of the new songs and refreshes us on the
old ones as well.
Time to try it out: About three weeks before
[the tour starts] we get on a schedule so
everybody meets a few times a week; and we
discuss arrangements, harmony parts and
where everyone will be onstage. We also go over
pacing and stories we want to share with the
audience. All of those days are really intensive,
and from then until opening night, we don’t
mess around!
HERE AND THERE:
Are you within a day’s
drive? Here are a
couple concert dates
you won’t want to miss!
4/2 Jaci Velasquez
at Club 3 Degrees in
Minneapolis, MN
4/22 Rebecca St.
James at First Baptist
Jaci Velasquez
L-R: POG bass player Tommy Magee, Shelley Breen (POG), Leigh Capillino
(POG), Scott Krippayne, Denise Jones (POG)
in Naples, FL
For the latest concert listings, check out
CCMmagazine.com’s searchable tour database to find
out when your favorite artists will play in a city near you.
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BYTHENUMBERS
927Kutless018452690
by Gregory Rumburg
Conventional sports wisdom posits, “Don’t mess with a streak.” That’s what
Kutless aims to do in 2005, extending its rock rampage that dates back to 2002.
This year started in the studio with the band wrapping its first worship record
and starting its next studio project. Recently replacing Kyle Mitchell and Kyle
Zeigler, new members Jeffrey Gilbert (drums) and Dave Luetkenhoelter (bass),
both from Seven Places, now join singer Jon-Micah Sumrall and guitarists James
Mead and Ryan Shrout as Kutless gears up for tobyMac’s “Welcome to Diverse
City” tour this spring, also featuring Audio Adrenaline and Hawk Nelson.
58 105-110
Weeks the debut Kutless spent in the Top 50 Christian album sales chart—a
feat typically reserved for the most seasoned artist. “We worked our tails off
to make sure the record was really good,” Sumrall says of the band’s followup project. “We felt a lot of pressure to put out a record that was better than
the first.”
Average decibel range for a Kutless concert. Sumrall enjoys recalling one
show during which the sound engineer pushed the technology, and the band
peaked at 125 dB. “That’s a little too loud—even for us,” he laughs.
50,000
2
250
1999
400
11
1
Miles driven in the band’s 15-passenger van during Kutless’ first year touring,
covering the country from Portland to Montana to Ohio and into the South.
GMA Music Award nominations. This month the Portland, Ore.,-based band
vies for “Rock Album of the Year” with Sea of Faces. “It would be rad if we
won, but I don’t want to get my hopes up—if that makes sense,” Sumrall says.
“We’ve been nominated before, and we lost to Audio Adrenaline, which I think
was fine. We were opening for them on tour at the time.” Yep, awkward.
Average days the band spends away from home per year, Jon-Micah
estimates. “It’s one of those deals where you really look forward to getting
home whenever you can,” he says. “Pretty much all the guys in the band were
‘homeless’ for those first two years. When we got home we stayed with family
and friends. We were nomads.”
The year Sonicflood released, eventually inspiring the formation of Kutless
and, recently, its worship project, Strong Tower. “I think back to the first
Sonicflood record. Everyone was like, ‘Wow, I’ve never heard worship this
heavy,’” Sumrall recalls. “In hindsight, it wasn’t that heavy of a record; but at
the time it was really revolutionary. I remember hearing it for the first time
and loving it.”
Tracks that made the final cut of Strong Tower. “We wanted an upbeat,
Kutless-sounding style of worship,” he says. “Worship CDs kind of have a
certain sound to them, so we decided we’d make this record fresh.”
Describing the project as heavy and edgy for worship, Sumrall says,
“Hopefully when people listen to this CD they’ll think, ‘Man, I’ve never heard
worship done like this before.’”
DVD movies, jointly, that save the band from boredom when the guys travel in
an old Eagle tour bus without satellite television. Movies remain a popular
activity when the guys aren’t gaming or when their wives travel with them.
Typical selections include comedies and action flicks—from “Bond” to The
Bourne Identity. But the Kutless members’ top choice remains The Count of
Monte Cristo. “We watch that at least once a month,” Jon-Micah says. Dumb
and Dumber stands as the group’s most quotable title.
Encounter with a Count, that is, Cristo star Jim Caviezel. “He was a very nice
man,” Sumrall says of the meeting, which took place while Kutless screened
The Passion of The Christ at Mel Gibson’s Icon Studios. “He’s probably one of
our favorite actors. He’s very nice, very polite, very kind.”
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apersonalperspective
Photo by Rick Diamond
C Magnificent
Obsession
When it comes to Christian music, you’d be hard pressed to
find a band with as many fans as INO recording artist
MercyMe. And when it comes to the platinum-selling band’s
own lead singer, Bart Millard, you’d be even more hard
pressed to find a bigger Christian music fan—anywhere.
With that in mind, we asked this self-described “Christian
music nerd” to spill the beans.
When it comes right down to it, I am a product
of the system! What I mean is, I grew up on
Christian music. I was that kid who, while
singing in front of the mirror playing a mean
tennis racket, imagined singing with my favorite
Christian artist rather than some big rock star.
Now, some could say that was just the beginning
of what would be a major calling in my life. I
tend to think I just needed to play outside more
and have fewer imaginary friends. Regardless of
how you choose to see it, this is who I am.
The first album I ever bought with my own
money was Petra’s More Power to Ya. Actually I
bought it twice because I literally wore the first
one out. Because of that record, I became
consumed with Christian music. Growing up, I
would spend every penny of my allowance on
whatever music the local Christian bookstore
carried. From One Bad Pig to Larnelle Harris, you
name it, I owned it. It is safe to say that Christian
music has played a huge role in my life, and when
86 ccm april 05
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I was asked to write for CCM, I thought I would
take a stroll down memory lane and see if there
are any other “Christian music nerds” like myself.
Just a warning: These are not in any kind of order.
I'm just typing whatever comes to mind.
Remember the days when you could buy four
albums, save those little coupons and get the fifth
one free? I really thought I was beating the system
(no Petra pun intended) until I grew up and found
out how much cassettes really cost to
make. Ouch.
Did anyone else own every Steven Curtis
Chapman and Wayne Watson accompaniment
tape and sing every chance the church doors were
open, or was that just me? I also had a mullet and
wore a sweater vest so that I would be
taken seriously.
I remember hearing Amy Grant’s Lead Me On
and knowing my life would never be the same.
I remember my youth group learning how to do
sign language to Michael W. Smith’s “Friends.” We
performed it whenever our youth pastor moved to
another church. We later changed that ritual to
“Thank You” by Ray Boltz.
I remember listening to “Hiding Place” by
Steven Curtis Chapman all day at church camp
and asking Christ into my heart that night.
I remember trying to sing Sandi Patty’s “Love in
Any Language” in a Spanish club competition
by bart millard
because it had “te amo” in it. I lost. Apparently the
whole song had to be in Spanish. That’s nitpicking
if you ask me.
I remember hearing Whiteheart’s Freedom and
also knowing my life would never be the same.
I remember figuring out what was said at the
beginning of Petra’s “Judas Kiss” and flipping
out as if I had just made a major medical
breakthrough.
I remember watching my girlfriend in 7th grade
sing some First Call tune and knowing I was in
love…well, as in love as you can be for a 7th
grader. She is now my wife, by the way.
I remember freaking out when I found the 77s’
Sticks and Stones CD in the mainstream section at
the local record store. Christian music had arrived!
Then it departed back to the Christian bookstores
for many more years.
I remember hearing Michael W. Smith’s i2(eye)
and yet again, knowing my life would never be
the same.
I remember actually wanting to be Russ Taff.
No wait, that’s me now.
I remember trying to rap like dc talk at a youth
rally. I think I actually pulled a muscle. Huh huh
heavenbound!
I remember pre-ordering Jars of Clay’s first
album when the band opened for PFR and
rejoicing the day it came in the mail.
I remember hearing dc talk’s Jesus Freak and
knowing—without a doubt—my life would never
be the same.
I remember buying the Chagall Guevara album
and thinking Steve Taylor could be the coolest
human alive. I later heard Squint and knew he was
the coolest human alive.
I remember seeing Charlie Peacock, Vince Ebo
and Jimmy A. performing acoustically and
actually wanting to learn how to play guitar. After
one lesson, my ADD kicked in, and I moved on.
I remember listening to “Heaven” by Michael
English over and over after my father passed away.
I remember joining my first praise band. I
remember playing my first church camp. I
remember when we started MercyMe. I remember
making our first independent album. I remember
the first time I led a kid to Christ at one of our
concerts. I remember the first time I heard one of
our songs on the radio. I cried—not because it was
on the radio but because my dad believed it would
happen one day. I remember writing "I Can Only
Imagine" at 3 in the morning. I remember my wife
waking up, reading the lyrics and telling me it was
going to be something special. I remember
Delirious playing on the radio when my first son
was born. I remember hoping to never forget
those moments in your life that define you.
I am a product of the system. Christain music
has played an enormous role in who I am today,
and for that I am forever grateful.
Bart Millard is set to release his solo debut, Hymned,
on July 26.
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halloffame
Stryper
t is entirely fitting that the mainstream record
company known for signing Christian glam
metal rockers Stryper in the mid ‘80s was called
Enigma, a word defined as “somebody or something
that is not easily explained or understood.” There has
arguably never been a Christian artist more deserving of
such a description than Stryper, a four-piece, “heavenly
metal” band that exemplifies the old show-biz saying,
“Controversy breeds success.”
Formed as Roxx Regime in 1983 in Orange County,
Calif., by brothers Michael (vocals, guitar) and Robert
Sweet (drums) and friend Oz Fox (guitars), the group
changed its name to Stryper when the members
rededicated their lives to Christ. The new band name
was taken from Isaiah 53:5’s “by His stripes we are
I
healed.” (The name is also an acronym
for Salvation Through Redemption
Yielding Peace, Encouragement and
Righteousness.) With the addition of
fellow believer Tim Gaines (bass), the
foursome soon signed a deal with
Enigma and—managed by Janice
Sweet, mom to Michael and Robert—
began spreading the good news in the
unlikeliest of places: the debauched
heavy metal world.
The combination struck a nerve in
both Christian and mainstream circles.
Many rock fans embraced the band
because of its tight harmonies, hookladen songs and fine showmanship,
while others didn’t know what to
make of a born again metal band that
praised the Lord rather than the
common ‘80s rock gods of sex, drugs
and the occult.
In addition to landing videos for
hits such as “Honestly” and “Calling
on You” on MTV, the foursome was a
staple of the thriving metal press of
the day, appearing regularly in such
rags as Metal Edge, Metal Blade, Hit
Parader and Kerrang!, as well as in
more mainstream press such as TIME,
People and Rolling Stone. The band’s
sold-out concerts became the frequent
target of picketers and protesters who
were upset both by the “worldly”
band‘s touring with such mainstream
rockers as Motley Crüe and Ratt and
the group’s practice of tossing Bibles
from stage.
In 1990, Stryper released Against the
Law, an album showcasing a rougherlooking group and containing very
little of its usual overtly faith-based message. The
ensuing media frenzy (on both sides of the fence) and
the collapse of the group’s record label caused the
album to tank, and in 1992 Michael Sweet left the band
to pursue a solo career with Benson Records, effectively
ending Stryper’s career.
In 2003, on the 20th anniversary of Stryper’s
formation, the group reunited for a nationwide tour that
was so enthusiastically received that a new Stryper
album is in the works for this summer, with an extensive
tour planned to support the release.
Michael Sweet recently told CCM, “We are all
honored, yet at the same time, very humbled to have
been chosen and inducted into the CCM Hall of Fame.
We’re proud to have been part of such a unique and
powerful ministry, and we’re grateful for the support
that all our fans have given to Stryper throughout the
years. We look forward to the future, and we are excited
to once again work with CCM to spread the message of
Christ.” M I C H A E L C I A N I
For more information, check out stryper.com.
SELECTED STRYPER
The Yellow and Black Attack (1984)
Soldiers Under Command (1985)
To Hell with the Devil* (1986)
In God We Trust (1988)
Against the Law (Enigma, 1990)
*#99 in CCM presents The 100 Greatest Albums in
Christian Music (2001)
All releases on Benson/Enigma unless otherwise noted
SOME OF STRYPER’S
MOST WELL-KNOWN SONGS
“Always There for
You”
“Calling on You”
“Free”
“Honestly”
“I Believe in You”
“In God We Trust”
“Makes Me Wanna
Sing”
“Reach Out”
“Shining Star”
“Sing-Along Song”
“Soldiers Under
Command”
“To Hell with the
Devil”
“Together as One”
“You Know What to
Do”
“You Won’t Be
Lonely”
AWARDS, ACCOLADES &
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Two gold records
One platinum record
One gold video
One platinum video
One Grammy nomination
Two Dove Awards
No. 1 “Most Requested” video on MTV
(“Honestly”)
CCM COVERS
December 1986
August 1988
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For a complete list of past Hall of Fame inductees, visit CCMmagazine.com.
CCM_05.05_Classifieds.v3
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Page 89
CLASSIFIEDS
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MUSICIANS, SINGERS, SONGWRITERS:
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contact and promotional information to:
LAMPSTAND, P.O. Box 601, Owensound, Ontario
N4K 5RA Canada
Subscription/Customer Service Information: Write CCM,
104 Woodmont Blvd. Ste 300, Nashville, TN 37205 or call
800/527-5226. In the U.S., $19.95/one year, $35.95/two
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RADIO
christianindieradio.com plays the very best
music from independent Christian artists, 24
hours a day.
2005 HOLIDAY MUSIC
A WONDERFUL NEW ORIGINAL Christmas
Song is available for artists who are planning a
Christmas release for the 2005 holiday season.
Christmastime In Heaven can be heard and
publishing information is available at:
http://songramp.com/Flyingsheep
UPCOMING EVENT
LONG VALLEY, NEW JERSEY Junior Women’s
Club, a not-for-profit community organization
providing programs and service activities for their
local youth, adults and senior citizens, invite you
to a performance of amateur and professional
musicians of all ages. On April 2, 2005, the
Women’s Club will be hosting the “Long Valley
MusicFest” at the Long Valley Middle School from
3:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Call 908/850-0022 for
more information.
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Wanted
GRANT CUNNINGHAM
Lecture Tapes from Seminar in the Rockies.
Years 1999 and Earlier.
Paul Cunningham will pay $20 for tapes
in good condition. [email protected]
ccmmagazine.com
april 05 ccm 89

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